Before the start
by shy1214
Summary: follows jackie, hyde and eric the summer before the Rundgren concert, i cant give a decent summery without giving too much away, but i recommend giving it a shot anyway!
1. Chapter 1

A/N so this is one I wrote a long time ago, I'm trying to fix it as I go so that it's not too stupid but I promise nothing. Also if you should notice similarities to my other story on here, I assure you I already know so there's no need to point them out, unless you really, really need to then I guess I understand. As usual I own nothing. Also the timeline is a bit wonky because the shows timeline was that way so I'm doing what I can, and unlike my other story I don't have a clear ending already so suggestions as I go are welcome and appreciated, thank you and let me know what you think unless it's mean then I don't really want to know.

June 1974,

'welcome to point place Wisconsin' the wooden sign read as a beat up Dodge dart sped past it, on the way to Marie place a residential street in a nice middle class part of town. That's where the driver's grandparents lived, and that's where the closest thing to a home in the whole country was, and it was time to say goodbye to it all.

Sindal Costello glanced around as she drove through the small town through the lenses of her dark glasses, it seemed nice and friendly and if she had a choice in the matter she might consider staying there for longer than the few months she had. But time wasn't a luxury available to her, she had only the summer to spend as a regular 19 year old before she had to say goodbye to her grandparents and her childhood before fulfilling a duty she only half understood.

Pushing the dark thought out of her mind Sindal turned onto her grandparents street and slowed down to read the house numbers, she hadn't been there in years and didn't trust herself to recognize the house. At a snail's crawl she passed a driveway where two teenage boys were playing basketball, Sindal smirked and paused to watch for a moment. One of the boys had shaggy brown hair and was rail thin, the other had blond curls and was stockier but still thin, and the blond one was clearly winning as well and jovially taunted his friend about it. Sindal laughed and drove on to the house next door which had the same address her Gran had given her. If she was going to be next door for the summer she knew she had plenty of time to meet the two kids, but just then she wanted to see her family and pretend there was no trouble lurking in her future. Sindal parked the car and grabbed her bag before walking to the front door, where she rang the bell and waited for her gran or Granddad to answer, not noticing that the two boys were watching her.

"Who is that?" Eric said openly staring at the stranger.

"Don't know Forman, but we should definitely find out" Hyde said watching Sindal walk inside with the old lady who'd answered the door.

Point place was not a happening town and any new arrival was more interesting than the day to day they generally had, especially if it was a pretty girl with her own car that had to be from a city – judging by her clothes which weren't the usual 70's bright colors and lurid prints, she wore tight dark clothes that were in sever need of mending and that wasn't something either of the two friends had really seen. They were curious enough to discuss ways to meet the new girl as they walked inside to get a drink and a snack from Eric's mom, but when they did they walked right into Kitty Forman in a flurry of activity.

"Boys, we're having a party tonight so dress snappy!" she told them and laughed happily while pulling a tray of pigs in a blanket out of the oven.

"Why are we having a party?" Eric asked grabbing a pop out of the fridge and only marginally interested in what she said – kitty loved throwing parties for the smallest of reasons.

"it's to welcome the Costello's next door's granddaughter, she's coming today to stay for the summer and we want to give her a friendly greeting" Kitty explained pointedly to them both who were still in some trouble over spraying another neighbors visiting nephew with a hose.

"Do you think that's the girl we saw?" Eric asked Hyde in a whisper.

"Of course it was foreman, what are the chances of two new chicks showing up there in one day?" Hyde asked dryly

"Oh yeah" Eric muttered having realized he should have already put it together.

Like they did every day, Eric and Hyde went down the stairs to hang out in the basement where they did pretty much nothing but watch TV and occasionally comment on what they saw. They'd been doing this for about an hour when a human whirlwind swept into their midst

"Where's Michael?!" the tiny brunette tempest demanded, glaring down at them impatiently.

Neither bothered to look away from the TV.

"Go away Jackie, were busy" Hyde grunted at her

"No you're not Hyde! You're just sitting there watching TV, now where's Michael?!" she demanded louder than before

"He's gone" Eric supplied to get her to leave and allow the silence to return

"Gone?! What do you mean he's gone, gone where?!" Jackie shrieked

"Good god woman you could shatter glass" Hyde barked irritably at her

"He's on vacation with his family Jackie, didn't he tell you?" Eric asked disinterestedly and turned his attention fully to the TV again.

"oh…yeah i-I must have….forgotten?" Jackie said much more quietly, her face looked suddenly sad but Hyde pretended not to notice, he worked very hard to make his empathy apathy, but seeing the young tiny girl so sad and hurt bothered him and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair hoping she would leave soon.

"I guess I'll just wait for Donna then" Jackie murmured absently and lowered herself into the lawn chair just as Eric spoke again.

"She's gone too, her parents took her to Florida yesterday" he informed her with a morose tone.

"what?!" Jackie cried trying hard to sound indignant instead of devastated – which she was, did she really mean so little to them both that they left town without telling her? And worse still they had both, more than once, made plans with her for the summer, apparently knowing full well that they wouldn't be around to do them. Knowing that she had been the butt of such a cruel joke made Jackie's eyes fill with tears, but she refused to let them fall. Why would they both go so far as to tell her they wanted to spend time with her and do stuff if they knew they'd be gone? Was it so funny to make her look foolish and pathetic? she knew that if you asked either Michael or donna this their answer would probably be 'yes' and that made her lip quiver – which made it that much harder for Hyde to ignore.

"What is it Jackie?" Hyde asked finally in a grudging tone, he did not want to feel bad for the poor little rich girl but she was clearly hurt by the news she'd heard?

"N-nothing really….just…just Donna asked me to do stuff with her this summer to…to become better friends…." She repeated Donna's words at the end of school with a hitch in her throat, Jackie knew she was hard to get along with but why couldn't Donna have just said that instead of seeking her out and asking her to hang out? It was just mean.

"Don't take it personally Jackie, not everything's about you, you know? She probably just forgot she had plans to go out of town" Eric defended his crush; he didn't like Jackie as it was and chose to forgive the rather obvious cruel joke Donna had made of her.

"That's a load of crap Forman!" Hyde spat angrily, it was mean and unfair and those were two things Hyde simply did not turn a blind eye to, Donna and Kelso's callous actions had made a 15 year old girl cry and there was nothing funny about that. "She fucking did it on purpose! You know it and I know it and Jackie knows it and it's messed up!" he shouted getting more pissed off by the second.

"Come on Hyde it was a joke! And its Jackie – we all make fun of Jackie!" Eric defended his friend's actions lamely; doing his best to ignore the feeling in his gut that told him what they'd done was going too far.

"Yeah Forman, we do – we aren't nice to her, and we make jokes at her expense, but we do it to her damn face! And we sure as hell don't pretend to be her friends and get her hopes up just to burn her behind her back! That's too damn far!" Hyde shouted at his friend, getting to his feet and breathing hard. Hyde had his flaws – many of them – but he didn't allow the strong to abuse the weak, and Jackie was not yet capable of defending herself.

Eric bowed his head in acceptance, he didn't want to admit what his childhood friends had done to Jackie was meaner than anything he would ever be capable of, but he had not choice – the truth was staring him in the face and Hyde had a valid point – they were up front with their dislike of Jackie's spoiled, bossy ways, they told her to her face and made no illusions otherwise. They didn't fake it and then trash talk her behind her back that was a disgusting way to act according to the way Eric was raised and he agreed.

"I should go, see ya" Jackie said softly, Hyde could see that she was still fighting tears as she got to her feet to leave.

He shot a look at Eric who frowned in surprise back for a second then turned to Jackie.

"no wait" he called to her, Jackie stopped and turned curiously to Eric and he saw just how hurt she really was which reinforced his resolve to what he was about to say "if you can swear to keep your voice at normal human levels, and keep firmly in mind that we do not work for you and you can't give us orders, and accept that you are not going to get your own way 95% of the time? If you can do all that, then you should hang out with us this summer" he told her seriously, it was a genuine offer that he hoped he wouldn't regret

Jackie was stunned and it showed in her voice "really?" she asked softly afraid to be made fun of again already, but what they'd said earlier she knew was true – Eric and Hyde didn't pretend to like her they told her up front when she bugged them.

"yes really, no spoiled brat bossy crap and you are welcome to hang around with us this summer, granted most of that will be exactly what we are doing right now but if we ever think of anything else to do you can come with too" Eric confirmed and held out his hand formally to her to seal the deal.

A beatific smile shone on Jackie's face as she shook Eric's hand "deal!" she promised happily, she knew Eric and Hyde the least of any of the basement group but they were promising to accept her if she curbed some of her more immature traits and she couldn't wait to finally have real friends to spend time with. They didn't want anything from her they just offered a place to hang and it was all she had ever really wanted. Then a thought occurred to her, and a wicked grin replaced the wide smile.

"Can I still point out that I'm rich?" she asked casually

"Oh here we go already!" Eric moaned, missing her intent – but Hyde didn't. A matching grin spread across his face as he and Jackie stared at each other thinking the same thing.

"No Forman, you're missing the point! Think about it – .rich!" he said slowly so Eric would follow along what they'd already arrived at.

Realization dawned slowly on Eric's face until his grin matched theirs (although not nearly as wicked), with Jackie along with them this summer the world could be their oyster, not only was she rich which would give them a lot more options for things to do, but she was clever and devious and gorgeous, a mellowed Jackie along meant the most epic summer they could have ever dreamed of! The fact that it took them both awhile to remember her money warmed Jackie to the core; she had had to TELL them she could bankroll activities! For once it hadn't been why she was invited and that meant the world to her. What Michael and Donna did still stung for the moment, but she was determined that when they got home they would find a Jackie that didn't want or need their approval.

"So what do we do now?" she asked excitedly, while being careful to keep her volume less piercing.

"First is the party in a bit for the neighbor's granddaughter" Hyde reminded Eric and in effect extended an invitation to Jackie as well.

"Ok" Jackie shrugged still smiling happily, anything seemed better than her usual evening of being alone.

"That's it? No arguing, no whining, no abrasive alternate plan?" Eric asked raising a skeptical eyebrow, unwilling to trust the change in her just yet.

Jackie nodded "we're friends now…right?" she asked holding her breath suddenly afraid.

"Yep" Hyde assured her easily, then gave her a disturbing grin "and as our newest friend, that makes it your turn to try and get booze from Red" he dared her

Eric gasped at his words "that's a suicide mission! The most skilled of us come back empty handed!" he declared dramatically

"Foreman, I AM the best of us" Hyde pointed out raising his eyebrow at his friends antics.

"I know" Eric agreed, if Hyde couldn't do it Jackie had no hope of victory.

But the sound of Jackie clapping her hands once and getting to her feet distracted them again and they looked to her curiously, her face was determined and her stance said she was ready for action. They were reminded that Jackie might be young with a tendency to act spoiled and bossy, but she was something their missing friends were not – brave. She had made up her mind to do what Hyde had dared her and she would do it come hell or high water!

"Ok Jackie, its time, are you ready?!" Hyde asked like a general sending troops into battle.

A sharp nod of her head answered him and she led them up the stairs to the obstacle course of drunk adults upstairs that stood between them and the objective – Red Forman's bar!

They slipped into the crowded living room, bobbing and weaving past the knots of adults chatting and laughing, they narrowly evaded capture by overly drunk adults who wanted to talk to the young folk, but they made it past! Creeping along to their destination, Eric hummed the mission impossible theme while all three were unaware that they had been spotted and were being watched closely, by a young woman in the corner with bright green eyes who stood apart from the other guests, a small smile quirked the corner of her lips at their antics.

She watched as the tiny dark haired girl batted her eyes at the grumpy Mr. Forman in an attempt to get beer, red smiled in spite of himself at her tactic - but sent them away beer less, but instead of looking defeated, the trio left the party laughing merrily at their failure, the blond one smiled proudly at the small girl and the skinny one clapped her on the shoulder in a gesture of comradery.

Sandal decided on a whim to follow them out of the awkward party she'd been dragged to, they struck her as better company than 20 people at least 20 years older than her she'd been forced to endure so far, besides, something about the vibe they gave off made her smile. It's a rare thing to witness the birth of friendship and Sindal knew it, she also sensed that their freshly formed bond was tenuous and could use something to cement it. So she followed them down to the stairs and wasn't exactly surprised to find it was a basement hang out, furnished in shabby patched furniture with a black and white TV set on a milk crate, there was the hint of a smell she recognized easily and Sindal raised a curious brow at their choice of pass time.

They had taken their usual seats around the TV and were laughing about their recently failed mission, and because of this hadn't noticed they had company standing at the bottom of the stairs watching them with eyes that appeared to see more than most. Finally Sindal cleared her throat to let them know she was there. All three turned towards the source of the noise looking startled and visibly relaxed somewhat when they saw it wasn't Eric's parents

"Uh, hi" Eric squeaked out through his shock at the girl he'd seen earlier now standing in his basement.

"Good evenin' to ya all" she greeted them warmly

"Uh….im – my names Eric Foreman and this is Hyde and Jackie" he introduced them nervously, but still practicing the manners his mother had instilled in him at a young age.

"I'm Sindal Costello, though I tend to just go by 'Sin'" she told them in a friendly tone with a slight grin

"Pleased to meet you Sindal" Jackie said brightly

"sin is fine darlin', no need to be formal on my account" she told Jackie with a kind smile.

"You're not from around here are you?" Hyde asked shrewdly having noticed the slight accent Sin still carried.

"That I am not lad" she confirmed with a grin at his perception.

"Where are you from?" Jackie asked boldly, always too curious to bother with formality.

"far from here darlin'" Sin told her vaguely

"Like how far, Chicago?" Jackie asked curiously, to a 15 year old from a small town that seemed very far.

"Bit farther than that" Sin laughed kindly.

"Where are you from?" Eric asked politely

"Belfast" Sin answered casually, but a shadow passed over her oddly bright green eyes, but the three friends didn't seem to notice.

"Is that in California?" Jackie asked brightly

Sin smiled indulgently at the young girl "no darlin', it's in Ireland" she explained, and then changed the subject. Perching on the back of the ratty couch sin addressed the three of them "so what are ya all doing down here?" she asked lightly.

"Just hanging out" Hyde shrugged honestly; weaseling beer had been the extent of their plans for the night. "What about you?" he returned to her.

"I'm after wanting a drink" Sin told him

"There's beer and probably margaritas upstairs" Eric supplied helpfully.

"No lad, a proper drink" she smirked "there be a liquor store round about here?" she asked them hopefully

"Well yeah, this is Wisconsin, but they're all closed because it's Sunday" Jackie explained

Sin sighed "do ya have any idea of how much beer id have to drink to forget the week I've had?" she asked no one in particular, but the look on her face told them that it was probably a lot.

"What did you want to drink?" Jackie asked innocently, but Hyde recognized her 'planning' tone and wondered what she was up to? The truth of it was that Jackie was impressed with the older girl and was hoping to add another friend to her name – which would bring the grand total up to three.

"My preference is whiskey, but most anything will do apart from vodka – won't drink that shite for the world" she told Jackie seriously, giving the impression that she felt very strongly about the lacking quality of vodka.

"I have that at my house!" Jackie said excitedly and jumped to her feet.

Sin swung her legs over the back of the couch and stood up "lead the way darlin'!" she stated grandly and gave Jackie a wide smile while she pulled her jacket on and pulled her loose long hair out of the collar.

Jackie went to the door with sin following behind her, and then stopped "aren't you guys coming?" she asked nervously, afraid that their time as friends had already ended.

Hyde watched Jackie's eyes betray her emotions and shrugged before getting to his feet to follow them, Eric also stood and grabbed his keys off the table before following them outside. They were almost to the vista cruiser when Sin stopped them.

"'tis a nice night out, if it's not too far lets walk" Sin told them casually

They looked at each other curiously, but when no one offered a problem with it they followed Sin down the street towards Jackie's house. The road was totally empty and there wasn't a sound to be heard, it was like they were the only four people on earth, and even a short few block walk was a grand adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

The streets on the way to Jackie's mansion were totally deserted, not a sound could be heard and it was like they were the last four people left on earth, but it wasn't creepy – it was freeing. Hyde and Eric would walk a few feet before breaking into a race, over and over they would go from walking quietly side by side to running full speed when one or the other yelled 'go!' Jackie laughed merrily at each of these impromptu races while Sin smiled fondly at them, the forced seriousness of adolescence had fallen away leaving in its wake two lifelong friends happy to be doing something – anything, while Jackie basked in being included as a friend and not a nuisance.

She was walking beside Sin and thinking of all they could do that summer when Eric stopped and turned to her.

"come on slow poke join in!" he laughed, and made Jackie's heart swell with happiness, Hyde and Eric were waiting a little bit ahead for her to reach them and see if she was faster than them. She cast a questioning look at Sin, who grinned encouragingly.

"Do nah worry about it, I'm fine on my own for a bit and I'll carry your purse while you show these boys how fast short people can be" she assured her.

When Jackie reached them Eric immediately started a countdown and at the end Jackie was off like a shot, leaving Eric in the dust and Hyde – who was faster than she would have thought – several paces behind. But it was dark, and she didn't see the garden hose stretched suspiciously across the sidewalk, and before she knew what had happened, she hit the unforgiving pavement fully on her knees. There had been no time to even throw her hands out to break her fall and the sudden pain brought tears to her eyes as she sat unable to move.

Sin watched with curious eyes as Hyde watched Jackie fall and flew to her side with a look of near panic.

"Hey man are you alright?" he asked, forgetting to keep the gruff tone he normally used with her to keep a distance between them.

"n-no!" Jackie choked out through clenched teeth, concrete beat bone every time and it hurt a lot, Jackie had a high pain tolerance from gymnastics and cheerleading but bruising both knee cap that way was more than she could handle.

Hyde shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to do? He wanted to help her, but he just didn't know how? He looked at Eric who had caught up and stared with concern at the tiny girl with blood stains forming on the torn knees of her jeans, but Eric didn't know what to do or say either? It sucked watching Jackie sit there in pain with no idea what they could do to help. Sin beckoned to Hyde over to her and spoke to him in a low voice that didn't carry to Jackie or Eric.

"Do yah think you're strong enough to carry her?" she asked him

Hyde rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly "I am but she'll be able to walk soon probably" he replied gruffly, something about the idea of what carrying Jackie would entail made him feel decidedly nervous.

But Sin wasn't letting him off so easy, her piercing eyes leveled on him and the tone she spoke in did not allow him to ignore it "that little girl there wants more than anything to be wanted, and as far as I can tell – that is a feeling she has never experienced, I know the look in someone's eyes who has never felt wanted lad, it leaves traces" she told him pointedly with a knowing look he also couldn't ignore.

"she has lots of people" Hyde claimed before pausing as a thought struck him, her parents never called to see if she was at the Forman's when it got late like Kelso's or Donna's, her cheer friends at school would tear her apart given the slightest opportunity, and he and his friends were never what you could call warm and inviting towards her, hell he was surprised now that he thought about it that she didn't hate them all for the way they treated her and he felt a well of shame deep in his chest when he thought about the things he'd heard said about her when she'd left the basement, it was small solace that he'd been upfront about her annoying him. Though now that he thought about it he had seen a certain look in her miss-matched eyes a time or two that he knew well – he knew it because he'd seen it in his own in the weeks after his dad left.

It seemed that Sin knew this as well somehow because she spoke again in a compelling whisper "it does not make us weak to help those in need, now be a man and go pick that wee girl up and carry her home"

It was an order and Hyde knew it, to his surprise he was willing to follow an order given by a girl he'd known less than an hour and walked back to where Jackie was pulling her boots off – the fall had broken the heal off one and she was abandoning them for their treachery. He held out his hand to her wordlessly, because he didn't know the right words to say?

"No Hyde its ok, i… I can make it on my own" Jackie mumbled, assuming what he extended was pity which she had no use for even then.

Her dismissal made Hyde laugh "Jackie, your knees are skinned and bruised and your shoes are gone, either I help you or your going to have to walk the rest of the way on your hands" he told her with a hint of teasing in his voice. Forman chuckled at the idea but Sin just watched as a flash of determination crossed the young girls face, she was curious to see where this could go?

Jackie laboriously rose to her feet, they watched wordlessly as she bent at the waist and placed her palms on the sidewalk, she turned to them with her hair falling across her face.

"You'll have to tell me which way to go" she instructed them before her legs rose gracefully into the air, her bare feet pointed skyward and then she began to move – and not slowly either. The looks of admiration were universal as she moved with seeming ease down the street with Hyde shouting directions and Eric cheering and clapping as they followed Jackie's progression down the street.

They had expected her to make it a few feet before she couldn't hold herself up anymore, but they were wrong. Jackie made it the rest of the block and half of the next before Hyde saw that she was struggling.

"Hey Jackie stop, I don't remember which way we turn here" he lied convincingly to give her an out with the dignity she deserved after her amazing feat.

Jackie dropped her injured legs back to the ground with a painful wince, she glanced around to get her bearings after being upside down so long and quickly pointed to the right, then shrieked with surprise as Hyde crouched down and scooped her up in one swift fluid movement.

A deep blush colored Jackie's face as she felt his arms around her "Steven put me down! I can make it on my own" she told him with a hint of sadness.

Hyde stopped to look down at her and not share the same fate she'd had "let's get one thing straight doll – I don't do anything I don't want to" he said slowly and firmly "you were freakin' bad ass going that far on your hands, hell I wouldn't have made it two steps doing that! But now I'm going to carry you the rest of the way, so do me a favor and hold on because right about now you're dead weight" he informed her seriously

Jackie obediently wrapped her arms around Hyde's neck and both of them looked away from each other shyly, now that she wasn't limp Hyde realized how light she really was and subsequently – how small and fragile she was as well, and she'd been on her own so long? Something was nagging at the back of his mind like Jackie when Kelso did something dumber than usual.

"now that that's been settled, let's go!" cried Eric with a flourish towards Jackie's street and fell into step beside Sin, she watched the two ahead of them with a mixture of pride and amusement and a thought intruded on Eric's happy mood.

He had always been Hyde's biggest champion when people called him a low class loser, those people had no idea of the capacity his friend had for kindness. His ability to care and his dedication to defending the weak were what Eric always thought of when anyone said unkind things about his friend, but what was bothering him was when he realized that he hadn't seen that side of Hyde in a long time until that moment he lied to help Jackie without taking away her pride.

Maybe he was thinking strange things because the deserted streets were like another world? But the suspicion that Kelso and Donna's absence had freed Hyde to be the person Eric had always believed him to be again, wouldn't leave his mind, and it bothered him because of how well the theory fit together the more he turned it over in his mind. It's hard to be strong enough to be yourself when you spend so much time with people who delight in mocking your short comings and the slightest deviation from the person they want you to be results in snide remarks, the message in their group was clear 'be who we expect you to be at all times, or face cruel burns and mocking laughter'. It was painful for Eric to include Donna in this as he was very much in love with her, but he wasn't blind. The girl he loved was often not very nice and she was also far shallower than she let on.

Far shallower than she proclaimed Jackie to be by a damn sight. Sure at first glance Jackie was the shallow, vain, vapid cheerleader with nothing in her head but fashion, but she was so much more brave than donna or any of them for that matter. Jackie teetered on the pinnacle of the social pyramid where one wrong twitch in any direction would send her tumbling to her death (metaphorically) but yet everyday she could be found in the lair of the social misfits with total lack of concern about what it could mean to her at school, it was a testament to Jackie's bravery as well as her fearsome persona that she hung out with them and no one used it against her. But donna on the other hand, would never dream of being seen with people outside her click at school for fear of ruining her carefully crafted persona, and while Jackie could be viciously bitchy when she wanted to be – it was always to someone's face, while donna would be nice to their face and burn them behind there back as soon as they left, case in point – her asking Jackie to hang out and do stuff together over the summer while knowing all along she'd be gone. Right was right and Eric knew it, but he still felt guilty for how relieved he felt that donna and Kelso were gone for a while, maybe he and the other two would have time to figure some stuff out?

The reached Jackie's huge ornate house shortly after turning the last corner, and Hyde and Eric shared a look when they saw that the whole house was dark but her parents hadn't been at the party?

"Hey Jackie, where are your folks?" Hyde asked casually

"Out" Jackie replied simply while she unlocked the door.

All three chose to let it pass and followed Jackie into the strangely formal 'den', Jackie limped to the sofa and sat down with a sigh of relief before pointing to a bar car in the corner.

"Help yourselves" she told them, with no intention of using her legs again that night if she didn't absolutely have to.

Sin didn't have to be told twice, she went to the ornate cart and picked up each decanter that held brown liquid and removed its stopper to sniff the contents. On her third try it seemed that she found one that was suitable, she deftly grabbed four shot glasses with one hand and went to the coffee table to take a seat at one end with Jackie on the sofa to her right. Hyde sat across from Sin and Eric across from Jackie, all of them hoping they didn't end up looking lame in front of Sin when they attempted to take a shot for the first time.

Sin filled the four glasses with a practiced skill and slid them across the smooth surface to each of the waiting recipients, then looked up at them grinning slightly.

"I'm running on the assumption that none of you have done this before – don't bother trying to deny it either – so here's what you do. Take a deep breath through your nose and hold it while you throw back the shot and I mean 'throw it back' don't sip it and don't hold it in your mouth, do what you can to pour it past your tongue and don't breath 'till it's down your throat or there's a good chance you'll throw it right back up, you all got that?" she checked looking from one to the next.

When they all nodded that they understood her instructions, Sin continued "now seein' as how I'm the only adult here, and could catch all manner of hell for letting you lot drink were going to do it my way" she informed them in a 'do not argue with me' tone.

"Adult?" Eric repeated disbelievingly, Sin looked to be about their age?

"Aye lad, in the eyes of the law I'm an adult and you're all what – 15?" she guessed peering at their faces.

"Yeah" Jackie admitted

"16" Hyde and Eric said in unison, not wanting to be seen as children.

Sin pointed at her chest and smiled slightly "19 nearly 20, that puts me on the hook for you all if somethin' happens, now seein' as how I'm taking a great risk here I think you should all do the same so – were going to play a game of sorts" she told them with a relaxed enough manner that they weren't too afraid of whatever it was she had in mind.

"I'm not really a playing games kind of guy" Hyde told her skeptically

Sin leveled a hard look at him "tough shit lad, we do this we do it my way and no mistake, now I like you three and I see such good things in your future if you keep to this path, but it aint pretty if you stray from it. So I want to help you strengthen what you started tonight to make your journey safer, but seeing as how I leave on august 30th no matter what happens were going to play a game to speed things along" she told them and they really only understood parts of what she was saying.

But they didn't have time to speculate because Sin had pushed Eric's glass closer to him and leveled her unnerving stare at him making him feel like she could see right through him, and spoke three truly terrifying words to him.

"Truth or dare?" Sin asked with a grin

"That's it? That's pretty tame" Hyde said raising a curious eyebrow.

But sin was un-phased "my version's different – more lastin' yah know?" she told him with an odd look in her eyes. Then turned back to Eric "what'll it be boyo?" she asked him.

"Uh truth I guess?" Eric answered while eyeing the strong smelling whiskey in front of him.

Sin waited until he met her eye before asking "what are you truly afraid of?"

Eric stared back at Sin for a moment before beginning to speak "that who I really am will never be enough for my friends or family and that I'll have to pretend to be what they want forever or be alone" he admitted quietly.

"that is a real fear, good job lad" she said with a complimentary tilt of her head to his candor, then turned her attention towards Hyde and pushed his glass closer to him as well "truth or dare?" she asked him seriously

Not wanting to risk baring his soul the way Forman just had, Hyde chose dare but probably wouldn't have if he'd known what Sin would choose for him.

"I dare you to protect Jackie and Eric from this day on, be their strength and their protector when they have need of it as you are the strongest of you three" she charged him with a lot more finality than the game usual carried. She could see that he was capable of what she asked and just needed a little push to make his decency shine through, which the more frightened kids at the table would need at times.

Hyde knew it was a serious request and answered as such "alright" was his simple acceptance.

Now it was Jackie's turn and as Sins soft voice gave her the choices Jackie chose what she thought would be the safest route "truth" she replied and nervously chewing her lip which Hyde found oddly difficult to look away from?

"You believe you are all alone in the world" Sin stated without doubt of what she said "why?" she asked with genuine concern.

Jackie stared down at her hands that lay folded him her lap "because I know I am, my parents don't care about me – if they did they'd spend any time at all with me, my boyfriend takes off without a word and tells his friends all the time that he's going to break up with me because I'm a bitch, I don't have any real friends, donna acts like I'm a charitable act until she needs something, until today Eric and Hyde hated me and they probably still do, people always say to be yourself but I do that and it runs people off, if I'm not bright and loud and commanding no one at all will see me and I'll just….disappear" she told them in a small sad voice that made Eric regret how he'd treated her in the past and made Hyde want to rip anyone who hurt her into tiny pieces then send them to the corners of the globe in equally tiny boxes.

She was just a scared kid the same as Eric he now saw, and she was just as abandoned and ignored as Hyde was, they both vowed in that moment to never let her feel on her own again, and something told Hyde this was probably what Sin had planned all along.

"Time to take your shots" she told them lifting her own glass in the air and smiling proudly at them all.

"Wait what about you?" Jackie asked when she noticed that sin hadn't had her own turn.

Sin grinned at her "fair enough" she said and got up to fetch two more glasses which she filled and resumed her seat "you each get a turn, one at a time left to right" she instructed and waved Eric to begin, she chose truth.

Eric thought about what he'd like to ask her? Finally "why do you have to leave at the end of august? Where are you going?" he put to her.

"The answer to both of those questions is that I have to go home, I've been called up for duty and I can't ignore that call" she told them with a haunted look.

"You're a soldier?" Hyde asked surprised

Sin gave him a look "that counts as your turn if I answer" she told him with a small laugh, he shrugged that that was fine. "I will be when I get home" she told him in a low voice.

"My turn" Jackie said with a sly grin on her face "truth or dare Sindal?"

Sin looked at Jackie and knew she was planning something, but made her choice anyway "dare darlin'" she smirked

"I dare you to come back and see us whenever you can, I don't care how long in between either – one year, five years – if you have a chance to come see us you take it" she charged immovably

Sin held Jackie's gaze for a long silent moment before speaking "as you wish, so will it be done" she told her gravely.

Then lifted her glass and holding it aloft while they reached to emulate her "Slainte!" she intoned and threw back her shot – then the next two in rapid successions while they hesitantly took their own.

"Ugh!"

"Eww!"

"Eh"

"Who wants another?" Sin asked cheerfully

"Me!" all three called out and pushed their empty glasses back to Sin, who filled them up and returned them.

"Same rules apply, Hyde first this time" she told them with a smile.

"Truth"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N I want to thank the few awesome people that have reviewed so far – thank you! It's really cool to know people like the stuff you've come up with and I really appreciate you bothering to let me know. I don't really know how long this story will go on because when I originally wrote it (in a notebook) the premise was that Sin comes back much later as a slayer? And I just don't know if that's what I'll do now or if ill change it? Opinions would be greatly appreciated on this as ill know where to go once I decide, this is listed under supernatural and though it might be hard to spot I've already started down that path with it, I just don't know where I'm going to take it so please, please tell me what you think? Because as far as I'm concerned if there's a slayer there needs to be spike so that's what'll happen if that's where it goes.

I own nothing –

" _Truth" Hyde answered_

After a small pause Sin asked her question "why do you not go by Steven?" she asked casually

Already buzzed from the one shot, Hyde answered more truthfully than he probably would have normally

"Because 'Steven' is a kid everyone leaves, Steven was abused, neglected and pathetic." Hyde spat with lifelong anger "Hyde is who people want to be around instead of forgetting about, I hate Steven because he was scared and lonely – he felt everything, and I don't want to feel anything anymore" he admitted blankly which was none the less heart breaking.

Eric looked sort of sad and a little angry at what he'd just heard – but not surprised, he'd always sort of guessed at what Hyde's life at home was like, he'd known him a long time after all, but the look on Jackie's face was curious? She had known that Hyde's life wasn't as easy as hers because his dad was gone and his mom worked a crap job, but this was the first time that she had really come to understand that it wasn't the lack of money that made his life a struggle – it was the lack of love and caring, and that was something that she could empathize with, and she also decided that from that moment on she would call him Steven and show him that it wasn't just Hyde that people needed and wanted 'Steven' was a pretty great guy too.

Sin let the subject drop now that the thought had sunk into all of their minds and moved her attention on to Eric, who looked slightly nervous knowing that it was his turn to be 'seen' the peculiar way Sin did.

Sure enough "truth or dare Lad?" she put to him with a grin that was slightly unnerving.

Eric tried to be brave and chose dare, which made Sins grin widen mysteriously "I dare you…to be who you are no matter what people think, don't let them tease you into a false version of yourself, be who you ARE and trust that it's enough for those you love" she dared him, making one of Hyde's eyebrows raise with the suspicion that there was more to her game than she was letting on?

"i-I guess I'll try?" Eric told her sounding less than sure that he'd be able to do what she said, but Sin wasn't letting him off so easily.

"don't sell yourself so short there lad, it may be hard at first but I have faith that you can stand up for yourself and not make apologies for being who you are, if you like something say it and if you want to do something that won't hurt anyone else – then do it and never let anyone make you think you don't deserve respect because of it" she told him encouragingly but with a firm tone, and again Hyde had the distinct impression that Sin was up to something more than just a getting to know them game?

But whatever it was he didn't yet know what, and watched with interest as Sin's piercing eyes turned then to Jackie, who looked like the whiskey was starting to kick in.

"Truth or dare darlin'?" Sin asked her with an amused smirk at Jackie's tipsy state.

"Dare!" Jackie said throwing her hands excitedly in the air, she was ready for some damn fun after the day she had.

"I dare you to trust that Steven and Eric are your friends – honest, true, steadfast friends – that care about your wellbeing and will be there for you should you need them" she told the tiny brunette beauty with a tone that bordered on stern but was none the less stirring.

But Jackie's happy expression was gone, and in its place was a look of fear "I want to, but I just don't think I can…" she began while casting her blue/green eyes down at her full shot in front of her. "all I've ever wanted was to have someone or someone's that cared about me – wanted me around and would do what they could to protect me, but deep down I know that it's never going to happen because I'm never going to be good enough for anyone" Jackie told Sin as if she had forgotten that Hyde and Eric were still there listening to the brashly confident girl admit that she was so lonely she no longer held out hope that it would ever change.

"Why don't you ask them?" Sin suggested with a raised brow, it wasn't hard for her to see that the youngest member of their impromptu party was the one who most needed support, just as it wasn't hard to see that the two boys would surely give the answer she guessed they would when Jackie's big eyes turned questioningly to them.

"Jackie comes on man, we might call you out if you're being a pain, but we like you. You're our friend now and if things keep going the way they have tonight, what with you not being loud and bossy and all, then I really think that you'll be able to do what Sin dared" Eric told her with a smirk, but his tone was genuine.

With some difficulty Hyde eventually met Jackie's waiting gaze and he too gave his answer "I already said I would – for both of you, but if I got to say it again then I guess I will" he grumbled irritably "I won't leave you hanging jack's, you're one of us and nothing's going to change that ok?" he told her firmly and Jackie as well as Eric and Sin could tell that he meant what he said, Jackie was one of his friends now and he would protect her come hell or high water.

All Jackie could manage was a shy smile cast at the table top in front of her, while Hyde blushed and looked at the empty corner of the room that was suddenly very interesting, Eric and Sin looked at each other with a conspiratorial grin. They hadn't realized it yet themselves, but Sin and Eric were of the opinion that there was something there the two abandoned children would have to deal with at some point.

"Your turn now" Hyde reminded Sin, glad to have the conversation about Jackie over before he said something he couldn't take back where she was concerned.

"Aye, that it is lad, that it is. to save time and I'll be choosing truth for all my turns" Sin told them easily and leaned back while they huddled together and planned what they would ask the smirking Irish woman watching them with a gleam of pride in her eyes, the comradery they already showed made Sin hopeful for their future.

Finally they looked back up at her there choices made.

"Why this game?" asked Jackie

"Why these questions?" asked Eric

"Why these dares?" finished Hyde, in rapid order.

The pride in Sins eyes spread across her whole face as she observed them waiting for her answers, "clever ones all of you" she commended them softly "the answer to all three parts of that question is – that when I saw you lot sneaking through that party after beer I saw right away that there was something rare and amazing ready to form. There was such a great potential for friendship that I went down to meet you all and see what the reality was, that's when I found out that it was the first moments of your friendship. In the beginning it's such a fragile tenuous thing that I decided to do what I could to help, but I don't have much time to my name, I leave here at the end of summer whether I want to or not, so I chose this game and these questions and dares to speed up the process so that when I leave I can be sure that I did what I could, sure you could all just ignore what you've promised the moment I leave, but something tells me that you won't, something tells me that you all see now that you need each other" Sin told them unabashedly.

All three mulled over what their new friend said, and each decided that even though technically they'd been somewhat manipulated, they weren't mad – on the contrary, they were all glad in their own way and for their own reasons that she had shown them. They had all been alone in their own way but Sin had brought them firmly together and now they knew that they had each other through thick and thin, through the worst the world could throw at them they would now have each other to lean on, no – they weren't at all mad at her, just grateful.

After their next shot the questions became more of the usual sort in a game of truth or dare, Jackie made Hyde admit that he'd had a crush on Donna until very recently and Eric made him tell them that the reason he no longer did was because of how sickened he was at how she had treated Jackie. Jackie got dared to take a shot without using her hands – it wasn't entirely successful but they all laughed at the end result. Eric was forced to tell the truth that he would likely forgive Donna – he was too in love with her not to even though he truly did hate how she had acted. For lack of a better idea Eric dared Sin to take her shirt off, they were all closer to drunk than not by this point and Sin did as she'd been dared without looking as though she cared much.

When she pulled off the tight black Henley she wore all they could do was stare and not because she was only in a bra now, Sin was the first person any of them had ever seen with tattoo's (it was Wisconsin after all) winding intricate designs wrapped around her biceps then shoulders until they made their way down her back, Jackie craned her neck to see all of it and saw that in between Sin's shoulder blades were words?

"Do you have your name written on your back?" she asked Sin, frowning at the reasoning behind doing that?

"Nah darlin', it's pronounced 'shin fayn'" Sin explained with a far off stare.

"What does that mean?" Eric asked curious and too drunk to be tactful.

"Sinn Fein isn't my name, but it's what I am" Sin told them obscurely and they all sensed even through the haze of whiskey that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Eventually they decided it was time to make their way back to the Forman house, and Hyde was too drunk to care about how it might look to wrap his arm around Jackie's waist to help her make it back with her injured legs, but Sin was far more used to drinking then any of them and watched Hyde's sweetness with a knowing smile hidden by the darkness, she was also the only one that had realized it was sort of silly for Jackie to leave her own house with them that late, or maybe Hyde had thought of it too but hadn't wanted to leave her all alone in the huge lonely mansion?

Eric's house was dark and quiet by the time they got back; clearly the party had ended while they were off at Jackie's. Sin stopped at her grandparents' house and bid them goodnight, promising to see them first thing when she woke up. Eric and Hyde said goodnight, but Jackie was nearly asleep draped around Hyde who supported her carefully and dared them with his eyes to mention it. Eric held the door open while Hyde tenderly carried Jackie to the Forman's couch and laid her down before covering her with the blanket that lay across the back, part of him wanted to sleep on the floor to make sure that she was ok during the night after drinking as much as she had, but the slightly sober part of Hyde's brain knew that if Mr. Forman came down stairs and saw him there with her he'd be the recipient to the proverbial foot in the ass, and brave as Hyde was he didn't want to experience that, so he followed Eric upstairs and went to sleep on his bedroom floor quickly.

The next morning Jackie woke to a gentle but urgent nudge to her shoulder, with a lot of effort and a heavy groggy feeling in her head she opened her eyes as much as she could – which wasn't much – and saw Hyde standing over her fully dressed in new clothes and smirking at her.

"What is it?" she mumbled sleepily, it hadn't dawned on her yet that she wasn't in her own home, or that she usually didn't see Steven Hyde when she woke up.

"Jackie it's time to get up man! Summer starts today and times a wastin'! we got things to see and do but we need you to be awake for that" he told her in a joking tone she'd never heard from him before, he was known to burn his friends or be cuttingly sarcastic, but Jackie had never before heard him make playful jokes or tease someone fondly? She didn't know what had come over him but she would take it, funny Hyde was a hell of a lot better than the Hyde that made her feel like she was about two inches high.

"Where's Eric?" she asked when she'd finally managed to drag herself into a mostly upright position with some help from Hyde.

"Right here" a cheerful voice announced from the kitchen door where Eric entered holding two coffee mugs, when he reached them he handed one mug to Hyde and sipped off the other.

"Hey what about me?" Jackie asked sounding somewhat offended but really just afraid that it had all been a dream or an elaborate burn and they were about to tell her to get out and leave them alone.

"Right here darlin'" Sin told her from behind Eric, she walked over and handed Jackie a perfectly made cup of coffee, cream and two sugars not too full

"Thank you Sin, but how did you know how I take coffee?" Jackie asked frowning quizzically

Sin flopped down on the couch near Jackie's feet "I didn't, Hyde made it" she told Jackie blankly, but her interest perked up when she saw the look on Jackie's face and the uncomfortable expression Hyde now had, seeking out Eric Sin could read on his face that – though it seemed like a small thing, Hyde knowing precisely how Jackie drank coffee was a big deal. So Sin decided to spare the boy the discomfort and change the subject to a lighter one.

"So what's on the agenda for today loves?" Sin put to them while she leaned back totally at ease.

Eric and Hyde seemed to think over what they could do that would utilize their time best, but while Jackie was lost in thought as well, Sin had a suspicion that she wasn't thinking over possible activities.

"do I dress to childishly?" she finally asked them in a small voice, her eyes were still trained on Sin's dark tight clothes and they had brought to the forefront the insecurity Jackie had that she was seen as a little girl because of her attire.

Sin was about to answer her when Hyde beat her to it.

"Nah man, you're kind of bright and cheerful or whatever, but I wouldn't call that childish, more….innocent" he told Jackie honestly

"Sounds like the same thing, I don't want to be childish or innocent anymore" she muttered, felling like she was the only one of them not at all grown up.

"Too damn bad" Hyde told her flatly, but not with any malice in his tone.

"yeah Jackie, we kinda like you this way, well – I could live without the disco, but apart from that" Eric told her truthfully with his easy smile that was somewhat comforting to her,

In a low voice Sin spoke to Jackie "trust what they say love, you're one of them now and they want you around, but they're boys and aren't going to tell you constantly, so just try to take what they say and not worry that they don't truly mean it, because I'm after thinking that they do" she assured Jackie kindly.

"look the important thing here is for us to think of something good enough to do, I can't believe I'm about to say this but….I'll be pissed if getting drunk is the highlight of our summer" Hyde told them already chaffing at their wasting of time, he'd had a rough year with Edna and couldn't wait for some fun.

"Yeah, we have a car!" Eric said pointing at Sin "money!" he pointed at Jackie "the best planner this side of Chicago!" he pointed at Hyde "and me!" he frowned then realizing he hadn't thought through his contribution to their team.

"You're our voice of reason man" Hyde told him with a smirk

"Yeah Eric, you're the one who reminds us not to get too crazy" Jackie told him sweetly

"That's a suck job you guys" Eric whined dejectedly

"Don't worry lad, I'll be the voice of reason and you can be the heart" Sin comforted with a smile

"What's that?" Eric asked curiously

"You'll find out" she laughed and glanced then towards Jackie who was staring at Sin with a look that made the seemingly always calm girl decidedly nervous "darlin' why are you starin' at me?" she asked curiously

"Your hair is so long, wouldn't you be more comfortable with a shorter cut, maybe a color and new style?" Jackie asked Sin in her persuasive tone.

"Back off my hair darlin'" Sin told her with a laugh, amused at the young girl's behavior

"but you could look so pretty if you shaped your hair instead of just letting it fall all around you like some dark cloud" Jackie wheedled, intent on her quest to fix Sins hair beyond the simple braid that fell down her back.

"Jackie love, I know you mean well but take it down a notch and maybe later I'll let you do what you like" Sin told her with a kind smile.

"Enough talk of hair! It is time to get the hell out of here and do something!" Eric declared grandly.

"Damn right boyo!" Sin agreed getting to her feet and pulling Jackie up with her "we'll figure it out in the car, time is short and there's none to waist!"

"Hell yeah! Let's get this show on the road!" Hyde cried and led them out the door to Sins car. Jackie followed giggling and linked her arm with Sin to follow the boys outside to the car and heading towards fun that they still hadn't decided on.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N so….yeah I suck, I am so sorry that I haven't updated in soooooo long, but I had 'things change' going and now 'Lock step and gone' and this one was always a minor thing because it originally went in a weird direction, which I'm probably going to still do. Anyway here's some more of this one and I hope you all like the place it goes, and if anyone – and I mean anyone – has any suggestions or things they'd like to see ill totally consider anything.

The four oddly matched friends drove aimlessly for around ten minutes before a suggestion was made for a destination.

"I've got it! Let's go swimming" Jackie cried from the back seat where she sat with Forman – Hyde had called shotgun with a speed to be envied.

"That's too tame Burkhart; you can do better than that!" Hyde called over his shoulder.

"Fine!" Jackie yelled and sat silent as she tried to form a better plan, one that would get Hyde's approval? It had to be something that was out of the ordinary for them, something that would mark the summer as their own, something memorable.

"I've got it! We don't just choose one thing, we make a list of all the best things we can think of and try to do as many as we can before Sin has to leave." Jackie enthused while clapping her hands triumphantly; possibly there was some spite towards those who had bailed on them involved in wanting to make the summer epic? But mostly Jackie just wanted to have fun with her friends, while soaking in the fact that she really did have friends for once.

"I don't know Jackie, that sounds like a lot of work" Forman noted thoughtfully – or lazily depending on your perspective, he was slouched down as far as possible in the seat with his eyes closed when he said it.

"nah Forman, she's on to something" Hyde mused from the front seat "we each come up with one truly masterful idea for something to do, then we take turns blind choosing them" he expanded on Jackie's initial plan, turning it into a competition for who could come up with the best idea.

"You're after makin' us pick 'em out of a hat then lad?" Sin laughed from the driver's seat as she turned down another random street, half hoping that they'd stumble on something to do before her ass fell asleep completely.

"Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do man" Hyde declared deadly serious from where he lounged with comfortable leg room.

"Fair enough" Sin allowed with a chuckle.

She was glad to have found these three, not only did she genuinely like them for their distinctive personality traits, but they were all so energetic and innocent, that it helped distract her mind from the fate looming before her.

For the time being the consensus was that they were hungry, so they pulled into the first diner they saw, it was a tiny little place that none of the point place residents had ever stopped at before but they all unconsciously wanted to avoid the hub, they didn't want the world they were building to overlap with their usual one. They seated themselves at a booth in the back, Sin and Forman pretended not to notice Jackie hang back ostensibly looking for something in her purse while they sat down, until the only seat available (thanks to Sin) was next to Hyde. Sin watched her take the open seat in an overly casual manner, Jackie was behaving as though she was indifferent to who was beside her, whereas Hyde really hadn't noticed the seating arrangement and was busy looking at the menu while mentally calculating how much change he had on him.

"I am so, so hungry!" Jackie exclaimed as the waitress stopped to see if they were ready? Jackie proceeded to order at least two full breakfasts and extra hash browns. Hyde was staring at her with something between awe and disgust while she clarified that she wanted scrambled eggs and wheat toast as well as some biscuits and gravy to go along with her other food. Eric opened his mouth to comment on her staggering order but was silenced by a look and shake of her head.

After his mental calculations, Hyde ordered a cup of coffee and then acted as if he were very engrossed in the trivia card from the table, when Jackie's mountain of food arrived she wordlessly began eating off the nearest plate then made an unhappy noise.

"Ugh, too much salt! Steven try that and tell me if they accidently let a whole salt shaker fall in it!" she ordered him in a huff.

Hyde raised an eyebrow but tasted the biscuits and gravy as ordered "tastes fine man" he told her with a shrug.

"Well not to me" Jackie informed him haughtily and turned her nose up at the offending dish

"Send it back then" Forman suggested blankly

"Eric, you do NOT send food back at a small restaurant, its rude and offends the whole staff, you only ever send food back a place where you've paid enough that it covers the experience not just the food" Jackie told him seriously "but Steven seemed to not mind it so he can just finish it" she said absently and pulled another plate towards her.

Eric shot Sin a curious look, she just smiled slightly in answer but later nudged him to take notice of the way that after the first instance of food sharing – Jackie and Hyde had begun to divvy up the rest of the food with unconscious harmony. It took a minute for Forman to realize Jackie hadn't been that hungry when she ordered so much food – she'd known Hyde wouldn't have any money and far too much pride to admit it, so she'd ordered half the menu to ensure she could subtly buy him breakfast without wounding that pride.

There was one slight altercation between them over who got the last waffle, until Sin reached between them and ripped it in half tossing the halves onto each of their plates "you two need some practice settlin' disagreements" she told them bluntly before sitting back against the red vinyl seat and lighting a cigarette.

Neither of them knew what to say to that?

After they were done eating they piled back into Sin's car and looked at each other waiting for someone to suggest the next move. Sin rummaged in the glove box and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper which she smoothed out and proceeded to tear into four pieces, which she handed out to them.

"Write down your idea's then hand 'em back when you're done" she instructed them before chewing thoughtfully on the end of her own pen – Hyde and Forman had to borrow pens from Jackie's seemingly bottomless bag.

"You all done?" Sin asked a bit later having just folded her own paper in half, they each handed her their suggestion and sat back while she read them aloud.

"'kay then, we've got 'amusement park', 'concert', 'road trip' and 'slumber party'" Sin read off each paper submitted then looked up with a smirk "aye, we can work wit' this" she said happily

"a slumber party? Come on jacks you can do better than that" Hyde said with a shake of his head.

"well I didn't know what else to call what I wanted to do!" Jackie said, throwing her napkin at him irritably, she knew her idea wasn't exactly epic, but it was the only thing that kept popping into her head.

"What'cha mean?" Hyde asked with genuine interest

"I wanted to do something like last night again, where we all hung out and talked and had fun, 'mini party' didn't sound right!" Jackie defended

Hyde could only stare at her; he had to admit that her idea had merit, last night had been the first night he'd felt totally at ease since he could remember and he wanted to feel that again as much as Jackie did.

"We'll combine two of them then, we'll go on a road trip to your parents ski cabin" Hyde suggested offhandedly, not wanting anyone to think he was trying to make Jackie happy – which was exactly what he was doing.

"aye, I like the sound o'that, first thing after were done eatin' we'll head home and pack up and head straight up to this cabin, that sound good to everyone?" Sin asked them all in her soft voice.

"I'm game" Forman said with a yawn "I'll have to check with my folks, but since donna's not going along I don't think they'll have a problem with it" he said thoughtfully, as always trying to mentally gauge Reds temper.

"who's donna then?" Sin asked mildly curious, if she'd heard that name she'd forgotten but she could tell by the looks on their faces at the mere mention of the dame that she was someone they all knew.

Three sets of eyes stared at her but no one spoke? Sin raised an eyebrow at their reticence but chose to drink the rest of her coffee instead of pressing them if they didn't want to volunteer information. She wasn't their parent who had a duty to teach them to tell the truth and face their fears, she was just a chick clinging onto the last days of childhood before having to leave it all behind.

"fine, don't tell me I don't need to know right now any way, are we all ready to go then? Cus were burnin' daylight loves" she reminded them with a slow grin, running her fingers through her long messy dark hair.

The three nodded that they were done and after settling their bills (Hyde looked decidedly uncomfortable during this portion) climbed back into Sin's old car and headed back to the Forman's to gather their things, for item number 1 and 2 on their list.

Hyde didn't waist a second of his life wondering if he should ask Edna's permission to go away for a few days, if she'd said no he would have been furious (and rightfully so) but it was a lot more likely that she would be happy he'd be out of her teased hair for a bit, and that wasn't a thought that filled his heart with joy. He found himself, yet again, forcing himself to not care that his own mother didn't care whether he was alive or dead.

Jackie merely said 'I'll be back in an hour' and took off back to her house, she noticed the quizzical look Sin had given her, but pretended not to and skipped away until she was out of sight and she dropped into a slow melancholy walk.

She knew what she would find when she got home, and she wasn't sure if she could face the same damn thing she always did another day! But she needed the keys to the cabin, and she wanted a few things for their trip so she braved her fears one more day.

Forman was nervous about asking his parents if he could go away for the weekend, they didn't trust him at all, mostly because they still considered him a little kid, but to his surprise as soon as he told them who all would be going, and Donna and Kelso weren't named, they told him to have fun and be careful? He was dazed by their easy permission granting but went and packed his stuff before Sin and the others got back.

Sin went into her grandparents' house and sat with them while they had tea, when she was little having tea with her Gran and Gramps had been her favorite thing in the world, but that had been a long time ago, back in the days of pigtails and cotton pinafores, before her world changed around her and sucked her into it. But there she was, listening to her gramps telling stories from his days in the shipyards back home while her gran absently plaited Sin's waist length hair.

She felt a bit bad for leaving them when she had come to town just to see them before she had to go back home, but their happy expressions when she mentioned she'd befriended the kids from next door soothed her guilt. They knew her, they knew what her life in Belfast had become and they were glad to see her find some happiness if even for a moment.

"Sindal darlin', ya don't have to be going back there, we'd keep ya here ya know, safe and the like" her sweet old gran told her for the 100th time since she'd arrived.

"I can't do that gran, I hate to worry ya both, but I can't hide from it not now" she reminded them again.

In a way, they understood, they'd only emigrated to America about four years before so they'd spent most of their lives in the same place that Sin was due to return to. Back home she had only two choices and she'd made hers at 14.

"well then, we hope ya have a grand time with those loud kids next door" her gran said to drop the subject, they understood why she was going back home in a month or so, but they didn't want to think too much on it either.

Sin smiled at their description of her new friends, she couldn't deny they were an excitable bunch who were probably blissfully unaware of the old lady next doors very sharp hearing, she wasn't planning on telling them either.

At the designated meeting time Sin pulled her car into the driveway and stepped out to have a smoke while she waited for them all to arrive. As she looked around the comfortable happy yard and home a bit of sadness stole through her, all this would be over for her soon and there was a very good chance she'd never see it again, but at the same time she took solace in the fact that her three friends would be safe and happy while she wasn't around, she badly wanted them to learn to rely on each other because the world is a daunting place when you face it on your own,

Forman was the first to join Sin at the car, and after he'd carefully stowed his bag and the box of emergency road supplies red had made for him in the trunk, he stood by Sin with an expression she knew meant he wanted to say something but didn't know how?

"spit it out lad, I don't get offended too easy" she advised him kindly, she'd already realized that although Eric had a huge heart and was a good person, he was so timid it did him no favors and held him back from many things in life, she wanted to teach him not to be so afraid.

"do you think the three of us will still be friends when you have to leave?" he asked heavily

"that'd be up to you lad, I can't force ya all to stay close but, I can advise ya that from what I've seen, you three are the real deal, and if I were you id do whatever it took to protect that, because it's a rare thing and ya aren't likely to find it once – let alone twice, do ya understand what I'm saying boyo?" she asked seriously

"I think so?" Eric answered frowning thoughtfully.

"well that'll have to do then wont it?" she laughed and shot him a warm smile.

Soon enough Hyde and then Jackie joined them and without further ado they set off for the ski cabin, there was still a bit of sun left when they arrived and so they divide the work there was in a curious way. Jackie and Eric were tasked with getting the inside in order – putting away food, lighting the fire etc. whereas Hyde and Sin went out to procure fire wood, when they found that there wasn't really enough already chopped, they got into a friendly contest of who could chop the most of the rounds available.

When they joined their friends inside Hyde was a bit grumpy that he'd lost the contest to a girl, but Sin grinned at him.

"don 'a take it so hard lad, I'm guessing you don't do that often? Whereas I've lived with nothing but a wood stove for heat most of me life" she explained kindly

Hyde shrugged and let it drop after that, it helped that Jackie made a happy fuss over how much wood they'd brought in, Sin and Eric shared a knowing look but didn't comment. After they had a good fire going, they began making food while joking and laughing and none of them could think of a time they'd been more content.

They settled in the living room area on the array of pillows and blankets Jackie had set up with her signature flare, and played a few board games, but after the second round of monopoly they gave up, Sin had never played it before and no matter how many times they all tried to explain the concept to her she just gave them a blank stare – it didn't make any sense to her.

There was a short companionable silence before Jackie began asking Sin questions again, the older girl was fascinating to Jackie, who'd never had a strong female role model – unless you counted Nancy drew? – and she wanted to drag every secret of how Sin was so self-assured out of her before she had to leave them.

"how old were you when you got your first tattoo?" Jackie asked seemingly out of nowhere, breaking the silence.

"14 why?" Sin answered promptly, curious as to why Jackie wanted to know.

"did it hurt?" she seemed nervous for some reason?

"pains a relative concept darlin', it did'na feel 'good' but I've felt far worse pain than them" Sin tried to explain

Jackie mulled this answer over while Forman took his turn trying to start conversation to avoid them all just falling asleep.

"is there anything to drink here?" he asked hopefully

"there's milk in the fridge" Hyde informed him absently

"I think he's speakin' of a 'proper' drink" Sin grinned encouragingly, and dove into her battered bag pulling out a green bottle with a red cap, and four small glasses.

"are you lot ready for another round?" Sin asked them happily

The three crowded around the small table and took their glasses, they were all a little nervous to play another round of Sin's peculiar games because like she'd said – they were more lasting than the normal version. But, none of them wanted to sit it out.

They needn't have worried though, after the initial round back at Jackie's house, most of Sins questions and dares weren't so life altering. She gently pushed them into solidifying the foundations of their friendship but didn't need to be as heavy handed as she had at the start. Surprisingly, it was Jackie who turned the game in that direction?

On her turn, she chose Sin, and when Sin took 'dare' the look of triumph on Jackie's pretty face was unnerving to say the least.

"I dare you to give me a tattoo" she said crossing her arms on her chest with smug victory.

"uh, darlin'? that's a bit of a strange notion you have there" Sin said curiously

"no it isn't" Jackie denied calmly "you said they never come off and they remind you of your past, I want something that will always remind me of this time of my life where I had friends who cared about me that I knew for certain I could trust, I'm not stupid enough to think it's going to last forever but I want something from it that will" she said with her peculiar brand of certainty that put off many who met her, she knew what she wanted and also why.

"well I can't fault your logic darlin' but I wouldn't put an expiration date on your friendship with these two just yet" Sin advised her

"you don't know what's showing up at the end of the summer Sin, you don't – you can't understand what it will be like once 'they're' back" Jackie said darkly, and after glancing at Eric and Hyde Sin saw identical looks on their faces.

"what about you lads? You after wantin' a one as well?" she asked casually

Hyde and Forman looked at each other and shrugged as if to say 'why not', Sin nodded her head and rummaged through her bag until she eventually pulled out a cigar box tied closed with twine.

"go boil some water" she said absently while she set an assortment of tools and bottles on the table, then she looked up at them, her face serious as a heart attack.

"there aint no changing your minds once we start, permanent is permanent, you understand?" she said seriously.

To their collective surprise, they were all certain of their choice to indelibly mark this time in their lives on their skin, it had been a subtle shift in each of them but it was none the less life changing what had shifted in them.

When everything was, ready Sin asked them each what they thought they wanted to get? Hyde and Eric stared blankly, they hadn't thought that far ahead, or they'd assumed that Sin would choose for them. Again, it was Jackie who was the catalyst to the whole thing.

"why do you have that on your wrist?" Jackie asked pointing to the inside of Sins left wrist where there was a small card suit spade inked on it.

Sin shrugged slightly "I used to play a lot of cards, mostly 'hearts' and if you've ever played it you know that the card you have to watch out for is the queen of spades, so I put a spade on my wrist" she mostly explained.

Jackie nodded understanding "to show that you're who people need to watch out for" she guessed accurately

"sounds a bit silly when you say it out loud" Sin laughed at her own idea

"I want a heart" Jackie stated firmly and pointed at the small glass bottle of red ink on the table.

Sin nodded and picked up the bottle "do you know where you want it?" she asked while unscrewing the lid and preparing what she needed.

"right here" Jackie said holding out her left wrist, earning a raised eyebrow from Sin.

"are ya sure darlin'?" she asked softly

"she is" Hyde chimed in "and so are we" he added holding out his own left wrist at the same time as Forman did.

"and what do you two want done?" she asked with a curious look in her eyes.

"club" Hyde answered firmly

"always the defender" Sin murmured before looking to Eric for his answer – obvious though it was being that there was only one choice left.

"diamond" he said without shame, he would wear his symbol of their group with pride – even if it was a bit girly.

"our diamond in the rough" Sin smiled proudly at him.

"but first, our heart" she said and dipped the tightly bound needles in the cap of red ink "ya ready darlin'?" she asked Jackie kindly

"yes" she said calmly, pain wasn't a fear of Jackie's, she'd skinned more knees playing hop scotch and sprained nearly every part of herself cheerleading, so when the needles pierced her skin for the first time, she winced but that was it. Sin flashed her a proud grin when she kept perfectly still through till the end.

If she hadn't gone first it's possible that Eric and Hyde would have shown a reaction to their own tattoos, but if tiny delicate Jackie could take it, they sure as hell weren't going to show that it stung like a bitch! In the end, they were marked for life as a team, each one of them part of a whole and each one of them staring happily at their new life long adornment.

Sin gave them some rules on how to care for their tattoos, but then the conversation turned sleepy and quiet, Sin was about to slip into sleep when something said caught her attention. Forman had said the name donna, and sin perked up to listen to what they all had to say.

She learned of the two absent members of their basement group, and from what they said – but mostly what they chose not to say – she gleaned what had happened before she met them, and became certain that the two people who'd treated them so poorly were the biggest threat to her three friends new bond.

"don't let them break you three, do what you have to do to stand together" she charged them firmly, then rolled over and fell asleep.

Over the next few weeks everything they'd chosen to fill their summer with as much fun as they could manage, came to pass. An entire weekend was spent at six flags, where they ignored all worries about the future and had fun like only carefree children can. Their final hurrah of their vacation was when Jackie showed up in the basement a ball of excitement, and clutching what they recognized immediately as concert tickets in her small hands.

They didn't know how she'd done it, but somehow the deviously brilliant little brunette had gotten her perfectly manicured hands on four tickets to see Queen?! When Hyde asked how she'd managed it she would only grin wickedly and say he didn't need to worry about it.

They had a truly epic time at the show, one they would all remember for many years to come, but at the same time there was a bitter tinge to their night because they all knew, that soon Sin would be leaving.

The day of Sins departure was full of deep sadness for them all. They accepted invitations from her grandparents to come to a little going away party for their beloved granddaughter, and the three were amused to see a slightly different side of Sin when she was around the elderly couple. Her long hair was carefully put up in braids, and her clothes were a lot tidier than they were used to, but they knew that it was a sign of love and respect for her grandparents that she put her best foot forward for their sake – not that they minded how she looked the rest of the time, but they were old fashioned and in their day, you dressed nicely for special occasions, and Sin would have rather cut off her finger than upset either of them.

The next morning, they said their goodbyes to Sin, Jackie cried openly and unashamed during their farewell, and quite frankly, Eric and Hyde weren't far behind but managed to keep a lid on their own emotions, but they felt desolate to see her go. It had been so much easier to be brave with Sin bolstering their courage, and each of them was worried about the future without her there for them.

"remember, you promised to come back anytime you could" Jackie reminded her sternly

"aye, I haven't forgotten darlin'" Sin assured her and gave her tiny friend a tight hug.

"be there for each other lads, be strong and be brave. And remember you're stronger together than anything the world might throw at you, so do 'no ever be afraid" she told them and gave each one one last embrace before climbing into her car and leaving them standing in the driveway watching her car grow smaller.

That night as they watched TV silently, all dealing with the hole Sin's departure had left in their lives in their own way, one small comment from Eric started a very serious conversation.

"everything's going to be different soon, or, maybe it's all going to go back to how it used to be?" he mused sadly

"like hell it will" Hyde growled defiantly,

"face it Steven, as soon as we tell either of them about our summer they're going to whine and bitch and make fun of us until they rip apart everything we've built" Jackie told him in a soft voice.

"I know that, but that doesn't mean we have to let it happen" he said staunchly

"how can we avoid it?" Forman asked with a raised eyebrow, if there was a way he was all ears.

"simple, we just don't tell them" Hyde said bluntly

"huh?" Jackie and Forman said together, they weren't sure what he was saying by that?

"what I mean is, for one thing I don't really want to tell them about Sin because I know what jerks they can be and I don't want them saying anything cruel about her when she's not here to defend herself, and I was also thinking that, we don't outright say that us three are best friends, more like we let them figure it out on their own and maybe if its gradual they won't act like jealous assholes?" he posed his idea to them with a shrug, it was the best they had considering what they were up against.

All three agreed and when Kelso and then Donna got back from their vacations everything seemed normal, except Hyde was quick to frog Kelso if he said something even mildly rude to or about Jackie, and Jackie wasn't near as gung ho about trying to do things with donna? If either of them noticed the change they never let on, and life resumed for the most part.

Until one day, when Jackie and Hyde were both in the Forman's kitchen waiting on Eric to go to a movie, and red was at the table reading the newspaper when something familiar caught Jackie's eye.

"Mr. Forman, what's this article here about?" Jackie asked in a tightly controlled voice.

Red flipped the paper to see which one she was talking about, Jackie pointed again to the article that held the words she recognized and Red frowned.

"that's a story about the fighting happening over in Ireland, they're calling it 'the troubles' but if you ask me it's a war plain and simple" he said with the tone of a man who knew where of he spoke.

"what's Sinn Fein?" Jackie asked next, holding her breath for what may come.

"that's what they call the group fighting the British, it's a lot more complicated than that really, there's the IRA and other groups and factions that you'd have to follow closely to keep straight, but from what I've read this Sinn Fein is right in the thick of all the fighting and its bad there right now" Red explained heavily, few who have been through war are eager to see it again.

Jackie looked at Hyde with huge terrified eyes, which he had to meet with a nod of confirmation – it was true.

Their friend Sindal Costello was across the Atlantic Ocean fighting a bloody fierce war, they couldn't understand or imagine, and they were afraid for her.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N I haven't updated a thing in months, and I frankly blame the holidays for that! Between weird work schedules and family obligations I haven't had a normal weekend since the beginning of November! Also on I'm a bit stuck on my other stories on here, but this one I wrote most of many years ago, so although I'm updating the hell out of it so that people besides me would ever want to read it – there's at least something to go off of, and hopefully it breaks up the road block of ideas for such other fics as "lock step and gone" and "spur of the moment". Because there is some guilt happening because of how I've dropped the ball on them.

Eric, Hyde and Jackie had vowed to keep their summer a secret between themselves when donna and Kelso returned, and that is exactly what they did.

When Kelso showed back up and brought Jackie a teddy bear to apologize for totally dogging her by disappearing, she began to waiver. In a rare moment of privacy in the basement, Eric and Hyde asked her about it, as they'd been under the shared impression she was done with their idiotic friend.

"what the hell Jacks?!" Hyde asked with a clear tone of disgust

"were wondering what's going on with you Jackie, because you're our friend and we care" Eric told her with kind concern.

It was like as weird version of bad cop, good cop – defensive friend, supportive friend.

Jackie looked at them both while she bit her lip, concentrating on how to explain her muddled thoughts.

"I know he's an idiot, and I know he'll probably do something thoughtless and selfish again, but….he likes me, and I'll be honest here – I want a boyfriend, I want to go on dates and have someone to call when I want to chat, I want someone to at least pretend I'm the most important thing to them, and since I know he's a doofus I figure there's a lower chance that he'll be able to hurt me" Jackie told them her reasoning, in a somewhat sad tone of voice, like the reality of life was sapping her spirit already.

"and what about when the horny bastard can't keep his hands to himself?!" Hyde demanded protectively

"were both worried that he doesn't understand boundaries or respect and that he'll try to take advantage of you" Eric translated in a concerned tone.

Jackie looked at her two friends with a fond smile, it warmed her all the way through to see how much they cared about her – even if they expressed it in wildly different ways. For a moment Jackie wished that there was a different explanation for why Steven was so angry about her forgiving Michael, but she knew that was foolish – he was just worried, the born protector was just doing what was in his nature.

"I need for you both to trust me and my judgment, I know what I'm getting into just like I know it will probably be a disaster, but I'd like to try and know for sure, the only thing I'm worried about is if you will both be there if I see this through?" she asked them in a soft scared voice, she was terrified they would abandon her if she made a choice they didn't approve of, and held her breath until they answered her question.

"that's what you think of me?!" Hyde demanded angrily, but Eric held up a hand to cut off his angry retort and interjected calmly.

"we'd never do that Jackie, were always going to be here for you" Eric assured her

"dammit Jackie! I may think this is the dumbest idea you've ever had, and that includes that time you put glitter in your laundry detergent, and I may think that dating Kelso is guaranteed to bring you nothing but heart ache and trouble and I want to be crystal clear here – I do not approve!" he told her plainly "but that doesn't mean I'm going to bail on you just cus you do something I don't like, I'm probably going to do a lot of things that neither of you approve of, but if you stick by me I'll do the same" Hyde told her gruffly and held out his hand, exposing his club tattoo in the process.

Jackie grinned and placed her hand, back against his palm, Eric smiled wide and placed his hand in Jackie's, at the end it took on the appearance of fanned cards.

Jackie and Eric loved the whole thing, it was like a secret handshake, Hyde rolled his eyes at their matching grins, but deep down he too loved that they had a way to express their promise to Sin.

Not a day went by that they didn't each think about their missing friend, her absence was like having a missing limb, you might learn to compensate for it but you could never forget that it wasn't there. She'd been their compass, and they felt lost without her.

Every day, one or all of them, checked the newspaper for anything on the 'troubles', since finding out that their friend was back in her homeland fighting for something none of them could really comprehend, they'd become obsessed with finding out all they could and often grew angry with the lack of coverage of the fighting in Ireland.

They worried constantly about her, and pestered her poor grandparents for any news of their friend. All they got for their troubles there, was to be told that they hadn't had any news but that, that was a good thing. If they got word of Sin while she was there, it would be that she had died.

None of them spoke for a long while after learning that, it made that chance a reality for them and being as young as they were they didn't know how to cope with the possibility that someone they loved could be killed.

It was something, that was always in the back of their minds from that day forward, they may never see Sindal Costello again, and that was enough to make even Hyde's eyes tear up.

They all reacted to the uncertainty in different ways, Jackie became louder to drown out the voice in her mind that worried about her friend, Eric became timid and twitchy with people out of fear that they would also be lost to him and Hyde withdrew and became more aloof.

It was easier to deal with their mutual worry during the school year, and as it turned out, it was easier to keep their friendship private than they'd expected it to be. Either Donna and Kelso were a lot less observant than they'd thought they were, or they simply didn't care enough to notice. Either way, they kept their bond between themselves and played their parts to perfection…most of the time. when Jackie broke up with Kelso and went to Hyde for comfort and support it seemed absurd, except that it didn't. sometimes their reasons for keeping it to themselves were hard to remember, and yet others they could make a flow chart about why it was the only option.

Through the beginnings of Eric and donna's relationship, through the makeup and break up between Jackie and Kelso, through bringing Fez into their group and realizing the depths of his addiction to candy, they stayed together. It wasn't always easy, it wasn't always everything they had promised Sin, but they stayed together. Through all the changes they went through though, they never for a moment forgot her or what she had meant to them, but after a year with no word – and most of another, they began to think maybe she had forgotten them?

They had been on their own for two years, struggling to keep their heads above water while they navigated the world as neither adults or children, so much happened and changed and evolved, but still they never forgot what they had promised that night.

But by the end of 1978 it had been over two years since the night they had started on their path shown to them by Sin, and Eric especially, had hit a low point in his life. Donna and he seemed to be really over this time, all because he wanted what he had always believed would be a happy life and she felt happiness lay in another way.

Hyde and Jackie were there for him along with Fez one particularly bad night, it had been the first-time donna had shown up in the basement since she and Eric broke up, and the way she acted as if nothing had ever been between them had broken something deep within their friend. It hadn't helped that she'd been close enough to hear Eric mutter to himself 'I miss Sin'

Mockingly, donna asked when he had ever sinned? And all he could do was stare at her blankly, he didn't know how to respond and he couldn't exactly claim that he had a dark secret life she didn't know about, so he'd just turned back to the TV and waited anxiously for her to get bored and go home, Jackie saw his struggle and put on her bossiest voice until donna agreed to go to the mall with her, she returned later that night, looking annoyed and stressed out.

Shopping with donna hadn't been fun, seeing as all she wanted to do while they were out was complain about Eric, and although Jackie was logical enough to know they had both been at fault to a point, she really couldn't agree with the red heads version of Eric as a controlling misogynist and after two hours she had a headache from keeping her opinions to herself that whole time.

"for the record, the next time anyone feels the need to even THINK that I'm a bitch, I challenge them to go through what I just had to endure!" she declared hotly, and sat down hard on her preferred side of the couch, belatedly noticing Fez in the lawn chair across from Steven.

"hey Fez" she greeted absently as she patted Eric on the shoulder and gave Steven a look that asked if Eric had been this morose the whole time? Steven nodded that he very much had been and as much as Hyde cared for his adopted brother – he was about to smack him upside the head for wallowing the way he was.

His life was no picnic either, and yet he still managed not to kill Kelso…. not that he had a problem with Kelso, they were friends…. except…. there was the way he treated Jackie, that kind of pissed Hyde off sometimes…. But not because they had tried to go on a date only to agree they were better off as friends…. he was fine with that F-I-N-E fine! Just, sometimes Kelso got on his nerves was all, yep, just the usual annoyance with Kelso being a dill hole…. what else could it be? He thought defensively, as if he was explaining himself instead of merely thinking.

They watched TV in silence for nearly an hour, and by then Jackie had gone from tense to sleepy and was wondering if maybe she should go home or just give up and fall asleep on the couch? Fez yawned and went to the freezer for his hourly sugar fix, and was just asking if anyone else wanted one when the basement door flew open and a stranger walked in.

A stranger clad in faded black clothes, with short cropped black hair apart from a single chin length lock falling across a pair of unsettlingly sharp blue eyes, which were trained on four friends, all frozen in group shock.

Fez was so surprised by it that he dropped his pop sickle, his friends also were just staring at the intruder with open mouths and wide-eyed confusion. Fez worried that they were about to be robbed judging by the appearance of the person, it was a woman but not the sort he had come across so far during his time in America, she was lean and hard and her clothes were tight and patched from wear, it was obvious even to him that she was not to be trifled with, and he felt a stab of fear he couldn't explain.

But just as he was about to scream for Mrs. Forman while he ran up the stairs to safety, the intruder spoke to them with a grin.

"well then, I'm about to think ya aint happy to see me?" she joked in a soft voice that thawed his friends from their frozen state,

In one fluid movement, the three rose from their seats and converged on the woman, to Fez's continued shock even Steven Hyde ran to this stranger and hugged her tightly with clear emotion. Fez found Hyde showing emotion unsettling, but not unwelcome, he had always thought his first American friend was much more than he gave himself credit for and was happy to see him act more human and less aloof.

The woman hugged his friends as a group and then one by one before she noticed him standing by the freezer with a grape puddle forming by his foot.

"who're you then?" she asked curiously, but not quite hostile although, the promise was there.

"I am Fez" he replied a bit stupidly, but in his defense, he was very surprised at that moment.

"you knew round here boyo?" she inquired in a friendly manner which almost put him at ease enough to speak coherently

"we've been friends with him for about two years now" Eric explained, emphasizing the amount of time they'd known him for some reason he wasn't aware of?

"aye, that'd stand to reason" the woman said to no one and flashed Fez a grin that helped him feel more at ease.

Trying to remember his manners Fez spoke "hello lovely and scary lady, I am Fez and I am at your disposal for any 'needs' you might have" he said in his 'suave' tone, that made the others wince in proxy embarrassment.

The odd woman raised a dark eyebrow at his declaration and turned her gaze to the other three "is there somethin' wrong with this one then?" she asked curiously, and with total disregard for him present during the question.

Hyde shrugged, Jackie made a sound somewhere between apology and resignation, Eric shot them a look when it became clear they were leaving the actual answering to him… again.

"he's ok Sin, really, just uh – he had a…. poor introduction to our customs shall we say?" Eric tried to explain without being offensive.

Sin nodded understandingly "someone have some fun wit' his introductions to a new place then'? I had somethin' similar when I first came here" she said with a grin and held her hand out to shake Fez's, he obliged and gulped a bit when he felt the surprising strength in the slender woman's grasp.

Fez watched his friends settle in and start hurling questions at the new arrival, she took a seat in the lawn chair he had abandoned so Fez perched on the dryer and settled in to watch the curious scene before him.

Although this odd woman 'Sin' sat in the chair seemingly relaxed, there was something about her repose that hinted it was all an illusion? Another detail that caught Fez's attention was a peculiar look in her eyes he had only seen in his grandfather's eyes, a look that spoke of having seen horrors one shouldn't ever see?

He wanted to ask about it for a moment, but decided against it when it occurred to him his grasp of their language wasn't good enough to phrase his questions as delicately as he'd like. Instead he asked for clarification on something else.

"I'm not sure I caught your name?" Fez asked politely, he had decided it was wise to be on his best behavior, especially seeing as how he could still feel his hand throb dully where she had gripped it, he knew that wasn't normal and it nagged at a memory from his childhood that he couldn't quiet grab hold of.

Jackie looked away from her long-lost friend, and made the introductions.

"Fez, this is our dear friend Sindal Costello, Sin this is our foreign friend Fez, he's a sweetheart once you get past his tendency to act like a freak" Jackie said seriously

"it is my pleasure Sindal" Fez said with a formality he felt was called for, although, he didn't really understand why he felt that?

"Sin is fine mate" she told him with a nod of her head.

"ok, I have to ask" Jackie said seriously, her eyes firmly on sin "what happened to your hair! Last time I saw you – which was far too long ago I might add – it was down to your waist and now it looks like a buzz cut!" she cried seeming almost scandalized at her friends change in appearance.

"nah love, this is what a buzz cut looks after a few months of growin' out" Sin laughed and ran a hand over the mere inch or so of growth on her head, if any of them saw the flash of regret that passed through her eyes they gave no reaction.

"why would you cut off your hair?! It was gorgeous, it needed some styling sure but noting this drastic!" Jackie said gesturing at her very changed friend.

Sin could only smile at Jackie's choice of topics, she knew the tiny girl wasn't near as shallow as she let on but, she had been fond of the game where she wheedled endlessly to 'fix' Sins hair, and now there was none left. It was also hard for her to see such a visible sign of what Sin had gone through since she had left them that terrible day, and a part of Jackie knew the reason she would have had to get such a drastic haircut and hated that she hadn't been able to do anything for her.

"had my reasons at the time darlin', 'tis nothin' that can na' be fixed" Sin said with a chuckle, she had missed Jackie's brand of showing care, it was all her own and she would never bow to how others thought she should behave about anything, especially how she treated those she loved.

"how long are you back for?" Eric chimed in hopefully, he felt so lost, he wanted so badly for Sin to show him the way again.

"'fraid ya won't like the answer there lad" Sin answered without answering

"how long?" Hyde asked bravely, knowing he may hate the answer.

Sapphire blue met ice for a long moment, until Sin spoke in a soft regretful tone "I'm on my way in the mornin' loves" she admitted

"what?! Why?" Jackie cried sadly, "can't you stay longer?" Eric added almost desperately

Sin graced them with a small sad smile "I need ya all to know that if I could stay wit' ya I would, I have missed ya all terribly, and I would love nothin' more than to stay here wit' ya all and live a normal life – but I can na' do that loves – much as I wish I could. I must be on my way in the morning to a job – one I can na' turn down – but I made a promise to always come see you if I could. I do not break my promises loves, this will not be the last time we see each other" she said with such quiet conviction that all three were instantly reassured.

Fez didn't understand the majority of what they were saying, but he knew this woman was very important to his friends, and he knew there was a lot about her that hid below the surface, he found himself more and more curious about this strange woman who had appeared out of nowhere.

"what kind of job are you going to?" he asked politely, he had decided there wasn't enough candy in the world that could tempt him to offend this woman Sin.

Sin scuffed the heel of her boot against the concrete floor in a rare show of nervous energy, Jackie Hyde and Eric shared a quick surprised look, Sin was honest and upfront to a fault, but she didn't want to talk about whatever this job was and that was cause for concern. After all, this was the same person who had been candid about leaving them before to become a soldier on the side of a war certain parties called terrorism, but none of them could imagine Sin in that light for a moment.

"I don' rightly know how to explain it?" she said quietly "but I can say that it's not one I can turn down" she added seriously.

Silence fell for several heartbeats while they all considered the implication of what she'd said, yet again they were having her taken from them by responsibilities they couldn't yet grasp, eventually it was Hyde's impatience that broke the heavy silence.

"what the hell are we all doing?!" he snapped finally "one night, that's all we get and here we all whining about it and being bummed out, were wasting it man! I don't like it either, but if it's what we have, then it's what we have and I am not going to waste anymore! Let's do something!" he shouted passionately,

Sin's answering grin was disturbing and comforting all at once,

"aye lad, that's the spirit! Why are we wastin' what precious time we have? 'tis stupid to be sittin' round wishin' life was different than it is, life is for the livin' and we aint doin' a whole lot of livin' right now, so let's do somethin' – anythin'!" Sin agreed energetically, which roused Jackie and Eric as well

"what do you have in mind?" Jackie asked with a knowing smile which Sin matched

"fancy a game loves?" she asked deceptively calm,

Fez felt uneasy at her tone, he didn't know what she was implying but he wasn't a fool, her offer of a game was something more than it sounded, and yet – he wouldn't have budged if he'd heard the call proclaiming free candy.

"I am in!" he declared firmly and joined them around the table taking a seat at the ottoman.

"if were after doin' this darlins', we need to do it right, an' ya know what that means don't ya?" she asked, the wicked grin on her face widening and a glint that made him gulp, appeared in her eyes – he was in for something, and he didn't know what?

As if there had been orders issued jackie, Hyde and Eric rose in unison and dashed off on errands he could only guess at. Leaving him awkwardly alone with Sin, still lounging in her chair smiling after their friends.

"so, miss Sin…. may I suggest candy land for tonight's festivities?" he said nervously

"not quiet the right track there lad, though, maybe another time yeah?" she said with a kind smile.

Fez watched with rapt attention the rest of that night. He watched as his friends reappeared awhile later each with their arms full, Eric had bags of food and wordlessly tossed out burgers to them before taking his seat. Hyde set a bottle of whisky down on the table with a blank expression and no explanation of where he had gotten it. Jackie set shot glasses at intervals around the small table, and thoughtlessly stole a few of Hyde's fries, Sin alone caught the tiny smile that touched Hyde's lips when Jackie did it, and in a split-second Sin knew exactly where she would lead this round of their particular game.

The next morning dawned on four friends passed out around a shabby basement and one awake, watching them sleep – in a totally non – creepy way – with eyes dark with sadness, regret and a pain that she could only hold at bay for so long each time.

She knew she had to leave soon, and she knew that there was a very real chance she would never return to her friends. The memories of the horrors she seen – the ones she'd done, began to cloud her mind, it took all the considerable strength Sin had to push the painful memories back down and focus on the moment.

She owed them an explanation, but at the same time there was no way she could tell them the truth. They would freak out with worry and fear, and Sin refused to be a source of either to them, they were her friends and she loved them more than they knew. So, she swore to shield them from her burdens, both old and new, and let them live in relative happiness a little longer. She'd done what she could for them, and as much as she wished she could stay longer, there was a very irritating and obnoxious person waiting next door to drive her to her new 'job'.

Speak of the devil.

The basement door creaked open and without so much as a care for not being invited in the least, a tall man with shaggy brown hair and a cream t-shirt walked boldly in, he cast a disapproving look at Sins friends where they slept haphazardly, before looking directly at her.

"you about ready to go yet Mic? Can't wait to see this bleedin' town in the rearview" he groused disapprovingly about the entirety of the place she'd dragged him to.

Sin shot the man a cold look "told ya to wait next door Ripper, I aint leavin' without sayin' goodbye" she informed him sternly.

"leave in the mornin', that was the deal" he reminded her pointedly of their agreement two days prior.

"I know the feckin' deal! Now piss off Rupert" she sneered his name insultingly and hit her mark as intended.

"Fine! I'll be next door you damn Mic, but just remember we have places to be that don't care about your fondness for this lot" he snarled contemptuously and left the room again.

Sin huffed in annoyance, and wondered for the 100th time how she had let herself get talked into teaming up with the wannabe cockney wanker in the first place?

"you'll all see me again darlin's, that's a promise ya hear?" she told them firmly after they'd woken up and realized it was time to say goodbye.

Their farewells had more than a few tears, even Hyde wasn't immune, but in the end, they were once again left watching as Sin had to leave their lives again, with no idea when or if she would return. But each knew that having her as a friend was worth it, and were a little relieved that Fez could now be counted among their number.

He had made his own promises the night before, he would stand as confidant and support as well as insuring that they didn't forget they were young and life was supposed to be fun. And he had wisely realized why he and their other two friends had never heard them mention this woman they held so dear. If there were two people he could think of who wouldn't be able to see or appreciate a person like Sin, it was Donna (who liked to be the woman in charge) and Kelso (who would only see Sin as a new pair of boobs to stare at), and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jackie Eric and Hyde hadn't been able to bare the idea of someone so important to them, being thought of the way the other two inevitably would have.

"what do we do now?" he asked them softly, not wanting to be the first one to break the somber tone of the day.

"go on like before" Jackie told him with a shrug "and trust that when she says we'll see her again, that it's the truth"

"yep, that's pretty much it" Hyde agreed blandly, he was feeling way too much at the moment to show any emotion at all, for fear of it all breaking free and if that happened – who knew what the outcome would be?

"be strong while she's not around so that she can be proud of us when she comes back" Eric added softly.

Fez considered what they'd said, but was still confused about something – well a lot of things actually

"where was she going? She said it was a job, but I didn't hear her say what" he pointed out thoughtfully

"that probably wasn't an oversight buddy, she doesn't like to talk much about herself, for some reason she's always been more interested in us three – well, us four now" Eric explained at least in part why it felt like Sin had simply disappeared into world.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N so…I'm not dead, just haven't had any ideas of what to write for any of the stories I have on here. Part of that is that for a while I've decided to focus on my non-fanfic writing and try to make some progress there and its going ok. But I got a review for this story the other day and it was so unexpected and awesome that it made me want to post some for the person who took the time to tell me they liked this story, also since this has always been my least popular story someone saying they liked it best deserves a new chapter!

Part of the thing that causes my writers block is when I think I'm supposed to pass time in the story with filler chapters and not just skip to the parts I want to write, I am capable of writing the day to day progression of events, buts it's BORING! I don't like doing it and it makes me not want to write. Which is why I have a habit of doing overviews that skip over the boring parts, sorry but this is fanfic and I don't feel like bogging my brain down with filling in every damn thing that happened in between the parts I want to write.

As per usual I own nothing.

With each day that passed it got easier for the four friends to carry on without Sin, but easier does not translate to 'happier' and they all felt the loss. In their quieter moments – with no Kelso or donna – they would sometimes discuss their lost friend and wonder where she was and what she was doing?

The first time Fez had seen their matching (in a way) tattoos he'd been highly jealous, but Hyde managed to calm him down by promising they'd use the time until Sin showed back up to figure out one she could give him that would match their own, Fez was appeased by this and spent a fair amount of his day thinking of what else would fit their card suits?

In the end the answer was obvious – he would request a joker, it worked on many levels and that made him grin to himself.

For a long time, Sins memory remained a strong influence on them, but all memoires fade even hers.

While she was still real, they did well in their lives – Eric and Donna got back together and were doing well for a long time, Fez found new confidence and got a job and a girlfriend, and Jackie and Hyde found the courage to stop lying to themselves and try being together.

At the time that they stopped pretending, neither had ever admitted how they felt even to themselves, so when they kissed out of nowhere sitting on the basement couch, they shared a surprised smile before diving back in.

For a while things were good.

But they did not remain that way.

They lost their way one by one until they were hardly recognizable as the same people, they were so caught up in their own drama and pain that, more often than not they could no longer remember what had brought them together in the first place.

There were moments where they seemed to come back to themselves, but it was only flashes before the new reality set in again. The final act that ruined what they once had was Hyde's drunken marriage to the stripper, Jackie's broken heart aside – it was so against Hyde's character that when Jackie and Eric looked at him they realized that he wasn't their friend anymore, they didn't know who he was?

Fez tried – he really did – to keep his promise to the scary lady he met just one time, but without his friends for support he just wasn't strong enough. By 1980 the only trace left of their friendship was Jackie and Eric with Fez joining occasionally if he wasn't at work (work distracted him from his troubles). They did their best to be there for each other through the terrible end of the 70's and the harsh dawn of the 80's, they kept their friendship hidden out of fear – fear that they weren't strong enough to defend it and themselves against the cruel taunts of those they still called 'friends' out of habit.

Jackie never came to the Forman's house anymore since seeing Hyde with his new wife Sam perched on his lap was more than she could take, her confidence was a mere memory these days and she had begun to believe the things Hyde and donna said about her. Eric tried to tell her it wasn't true and did his best to bring back the spark that had once burned so bright, but he was failing. He had made the decision to go to Africa to teach and earn money for school, but then he saw with perfect clarity what would become of Jackie if he left and that was all it took to call it off and stay. Later, after he had made the announcement that he wouldn't be going after all and suffered the unkind things his friends and family had to say about him because of it, Fez came to him and sat quietly in the lawn chair for a long time until he finally spoke.

"Eric" he began in his rarely used serious tone "what you have sacrificed for us? it is very noble what you've done, and I am proud of you…and she would be too" he finished softly, leaving Eric to wonder which 'she' he was referring to?

Steven Hyde had never thought much of himself, he knew where he came from and where he would likely end up, and he'd never had delusions of grandeur about either, but once long ago he had prided himself that he was honest and did the right thing when the chips were down – he couldn't claim either anymore. It would have gotten him down if he'd thought about it, so to avoid that happening he stayed almost perpetually drunk, Sam served as a distraction at any other time and so Hyde was able to forget what he once was and what he once had. A tiny dry voice in the very corner of his mind liked to inform him every morning when he woke up that it was only a matter of time before the levee broke, he chose to drown this voice before it drowned him in sorrow and regret.

But that voice was right – the levee was about to break.

It was a warm spring day and they had all gravitated into the driveway for one reason or another. Hyde Kelso and Fez were halfheartedly playing basketball while donna and Sam sat nearby on the hood of the cruiser watching while they chatted about topics Donna once would have disapproved of. Eric was working with Red on the Toyota, well, he was trying to hold the flashlight properly since (as Red wouldn't stop pointing out) his usual helper was MIA.

Eric was doing his best to tune out the voices around him and focus on helping his dad, when there was a sound he couldn't ignore? The rumbling sound of a motorcycle was approaching down their usually quiet street, the noise grew louder and louder which drew the attention of everyone now so that every set of eyes was looking to the street when the source of the sound so out of place in suburban Wisconsin.

When the black motorcycle came into sight the last thing any of them expected was for it to pull into their driveway and park – but that's exactly what it did.

Red Forman set down his wrench and started wiping his hands on a rag while he walked towards the noisy bike to ask its rider what they hell they were doing on his property?! But he only got about four steps out of the garage before he stopped out of surprise, the rider removed their helmet to reveal a woman – he hadn't been expecting that.

Eric Hyde and Fez froze in place when that helmet came off, messy black hair fell around her a face that held a pair of very familiar and very piercing deep blue eyes.

"hi" was all she had to say to break them from their shocked stasis, Eric and Fez rushed towards her and clumsily tried to do a group hug which momentarily obscured her from view. Hyde remained frozen, his hands tightly gripping the basketball and if he hadn't been wearing shades everyone would have seen the utter terror in his pale blue eyes – there was a reckoning coming and he couldn't intimidate this one from asking questions he didn't want to answer.

"thank god you're here" Eric whispered with infinite relief before letting her go and moving out of her path to their other member.

Sure, enough when Fez and Eric finally let go, those eyes were trained directly at him with a look he couldn't read.

"I'm after thinkin' you aren't happy to see me boy" she stated calmly, a quiet portion of his mind noted that her accent was much lighter than the last time he'd seen her.

"that's not true" Hyde breathed softly

"well I can't help but notice you won't come closer" she pointed out with a small grin

"I can't deal with you hating me" Hyde said honestly, unconcerned with how many people could hear his words.

"I never will boy" she promised sternly

That was all it took to make Hyde forget the man he'd become, the boy he'd once been flew towards the new arrival and held her tightly begging for forgiveness in a choked whisper to which she murmured assurance that she was there.

"who the hell is that and what's going on here?" Donna demanded of Eric and Fez, she had an uneasy feeling and didn't like new people – especially scary motorcycle riding women in black leather – showing up unannounced on her turf, and yes, her brain thought the words 'turf'.

"that's Sin" Fez replied almost reverently, never had he been so sure of anything as he was that Sin would fix the horror show that had become their lives. He was so happy in fact that he didn't notice the warning signs on the bottle blondes face, on some level Donna had perceived an imminent threat.

"she looks like a biker gang slut" donna sniffed contemptuously "and why are they acting like she's some long-lost friend?" she demanded of the distracted man.

"because she is, she is their great friend for many years" he told her absently while he was distracted watching the silent exchange between Hyde and Sin, they were standing close just staring at each other the only thing happening was a very slight shift in Hyde's posture?

"that's impossible, I've never seen or heard of her" donna argued

"sure, you have, they mention her all the time – I miss sin, I wish sin was here, things were better with sin" Fez pointed out.

"I always thought they were talking about like – sinning, having fun or getting in trouble" Donna defended

"and yet you still claim to be smart" Fez shot back dryly "the improper pronoun use didn't tip you off at all? Obviously not as you never stopped to consider that maybe there was something important in your friends lives that had nothing to do with you" he proposed disdainfully.

Donna didn't know what to say to that? So, she huffed and crossed her arms and watched as Hyde hugged the stranger again, when he pulled away and let his arms drop there was a look on his face none of them had seen in years – he was vulnerable and pleading for help.

"I got so lost Sin" he murmured sorrowfully

"still love ya boy" she assured him with a comforting smile and clapped him on the shoulder. Now that her attention wasn't pointed at her troubled defender, Sin looked around all those assembled and had to accept that there was one not present.

"where is she loves?" she asked brightly, she had missed her tiny friend and was excited to spend time with her at last

"who?" Donna asked loudly, she was getting pissed with how weird they were acting over some chick showing up, what was the big deal?!

"we don't know" Hyde finally admitted in a desolate voice, he didn't want to admit how badly he had failed them all, but he had no choice. He had sworn to defend those weaker and more afraid than himself, and he hadn't done it – he didn't even know where Jackie was.

"seriously who?!" donna yelled irritably

"good lord woman, Jackie!" Fez snapped finally

"why would they know or care where Jackie is?! It took forever for her to realize where she was unwanted, don't ruin that now!" she yelled out, expecting Hyde at least to agree with her, but even she couldn't explain away the look of pain on his face.

"how could you not know?" Sin asked softly, her eyes troubled at what he was saying.

"I told you already – I got so lost Sin, I-I still am, I'm sorry please don't hate me" he begged and hung his head in shame, several seconds passed before Sin reacted in any way. Finally, just as Hyde was about to lose all hope that she could forgive him – he felt a light touch on his head and looked up to see sins eyes concerned but still loving.

"it'd take more than that to make me hate you boy, I'm not happy with what I'm hearing, and you and I will have a long private talk about what the hell had happened 'round here, but I'm as much to blame as you lot. I knew you needed me and yet I still left" she lamented her roll gently

"you had no choice Sin, I did" Hyde argued, he was done blaming others for what he'd done to his own life.

"there is always a choice Steven, no matter how hard it is to see the other one sometimes doesn't mean the choice isn't there, I thought I made the right choice even though it was so very hard to make, but now I think I was wrong" she said regretfully

"I'm just a fuck up Sin" he tried to take responsibility at last

"I disagree, and it's my opinion that counts here boy, now – how do we go about finding the wee lass?" she asked the three guys seriously

"I…know where she is" Eric finally spoke up and admitted even though he didn't want to deal with what he knew the reactions would be. Sure, enough a loud harmony of 'WHAT' issued in varying degrees of accusation.

"oh, shut up! None of you cared where she was until now, so you can just zip it!" Eric cried defensively

"why would you even know where the little brat is?" Donna yelled spitefully

"because she is his dear friend you vile bitch" Fez managed to say this almost conversationally

"no, they're not" donna scoffed, Kelso nodded agreement

"and yet – he knows where she is?" Fez pointed out pityingly

"Forman?" Hyde asked afraid to be hopeful

"I'll go call her, but I promise nothing" he told them bluntly

The rest fell into an awkward silence while Eric went inside to use the phone, Sin was looking around at them each getting a read on them all, Fez was trying his hardest not to smile and do a dance that the dark days were over, Donna and Sam stood near Kelso all of them with similar looks of confusion and apprehension on their faces. Red Forman stood apart watching with open curiosity, he knew what all the dumbass kids had been getting up to and it made him sick! But he'd be damned if he bothered trying to get through to skulls that damn thick!

He had spent over a decade doing his best to ignore all the mooching kids that wandered through his home, but he thought he recalled a girl with long black hair being around one summer at the neighbor's house? It seemed to him like Eric and Steven had palled around with her a lot too? And this rough looking woman did seem to resemble that girl with the old beat up dodge dart that summer? And then his interest in the subject ran out just about the time his son came back from the kitchen with an uncharacteristically determined expression on his face.

"did you find her lad?" Sin asked evenly

Eric stared back at his long-lost friend while he tried to think of how to say what he had to say, because certain people weren't going to like it.

"I did, and it took some work, but I got her to agree to come here" he finally settled on

"what did you have to do?" Hyde asked in a hushed tone

Eric leveled a harsh look at his oldest friend that was full of disapproval and a hint of defiance.

"I promised that if she came I would protect her" he said darkly, hurling the promise Hyde had once made into his face, and watching with satisfaction as his words hit their mark and Hyde flinched.

"why did you not just tell her I was here?" Sin asked reasonably

"she wouldn't have believed that Sin, she would have thought I was lying to set her up somehow? I had to conceive her I needed her" he admitted

Sin sighed, she couldn't really fault his logic considering what she knew of how Jackie's mind worked.

Not even ten minutes later they heard a car approaching which squealed to a halt at the curb, followed by the rapid tap of high heeled footsteps running towards them which slowed before she came into sight to a measured casual pace, when Jackie finally came into view she looked bored to be there and it was easy to see that she must have cared very deeply for Eric to have turned up at all in such hostile territory, Donna especially took note of this.

"so, what's up?" Jackie asked offhandedly, making sure to look nowhere but Eric the whole time or risk crying pathetically before her enemies, she would show no weakness!

Eric didn't answer he just smiled softly and tilted his head to his right, Jackie's eyes followed the direction he indicated and opened wide with disbelief and hope.

"hello darlin'" Sin greeted her warmly, from where she stood beside her bike outside Jackie's immediate line of sight.

Jackie let out a gut-wrenching sob and flew at the taller woman and collapsed into her leather clad arms.

"you're back, your back! I needed you so much" Jackie wailed desperately against sins jacket (which was thankfully water resistant)

"hush darlin', I'm here now and I aint leavin' till I fix my mistake" Sin vowed comfortingly while she patted Jackie's glossy hair.

"how long is that?" Eric asked, trying not to sound too hopeful

"long as is needed lad, not forever mind? But I can make some time on this trip I couldn't last time" she said half to them and half to herself

"oh, thank god!" Eric and Fez said together, nearly collapsing in their mutual relief,

Things had been so hard on their own, they'd tried to stay on the right path but they, like Hyde, had become so lost. But they never doubted for a moment that Sin could right them and bring them back to where they wanted to be.

When Jackie finally stopped crying, Sin pulled back to address them all – well, the other three that mattered to her – but before she could Sam decided it was time to remind the little brunette brat who had won where Hyde was concerned and bounced over to his side and threw her arms around him. His expression turned to one of horror, he'd momentarily forgotten all about Sam and now he'd have to confess that indiscretion to Sin as well.

Sure, enough one dark eyebrow was visibly raised behind the hair falling across it, and the question in her eyes was not hard to decipher even if she hadn't asked verbally – which she did.

"would you like to explain who this is boy, or should I start making some guesses?" she asked dangerously,

"I'm Sam" the stripper informed the newcomer with a smug smile that made Jackie hide her face in Sin shoulder.

"Steven?" Sin said pointedly, he would answer and quickly or he would regret it.

"please don't hate me" he whispered again before gathering the courage to admit his biggest mistake to date

"she's his hot stripper wife!" Kelso just couldn't be silent any longer, and he knew the answer for once!

"no, boy tell me the moron is wrong" Sin asked sadly

But Hyde's desperate expression told her it was the truth, and that things had gotten worse than she had thought, and she blamed herself. How could she make them understand the reason she had been forced to leave them? neither the war she'd gone to fight in, or the job she'd had to go to were reason enough to let those she had sworn to care for down like she had. Running a weary hand across her face she began thing think of what she should do first?

Untangling herself from Jackie's death grip on her as gently as she could she turned the tiny girl over to Eric and Fez who stood protectively over her warning those who had hurt her away. Once free she turned to her dusty bike and pulled the key out of the ignition, carefully stowing her helmet in the side bag Sin unzipped her jacket and shoved it in with the helmet before pulling her old rucksack from the other for her stay next door.

To Sin's surprise alone – and only because she didn't know him – Kelso saw her without the heavy riding jacket and realized she was a girl, and clearly because she was a girl within his vicinity he decided to come on to her.

"hello there lucky charms, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Michael Kelso but you can call me the Apollo rocket of love" he sleazed at her, trying to put an arm around her. No sooner had he begun to make his signature move than he found himself in acute pain as he was forced to his knees by his arm being twisted to the brink of shattering.

No one knew how to react to Sin catching his unwanted arm with a quick move and using it to force him to the ground.

She gave her friends an exasperated look "what the hell was he thinking? What the hell goes on around this place?!" she demanded irritably but wasn't really expecting an answer. She was pissed off now and was done apologizing for a while. With dangerous fire burning in her eyes Sin released Kelso – letting him fall on the pavement – and put her hands on her hips.

"alright listen up!" she snapped at them all, including the ones she didn't know or like "you!" she said pointing squarely at Hyde "you fix whatever you've done here with 'do me barbie' understand? And I don't want to hear one single excuse, being an adult means you face your mistakes and try your hardest to fix them, you do not wallow in them because you don't want to admit you were wrong! you have one hour!" she decreed with a look that didn't invite arguing.

"hey, I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just show up and start bossing around MY husband!" Sam shrieked furiously

Sin turned her cool gaze on the stripper and none envied the threat that could be seen there.

"listen carefully little girl – neither you nor this other one want to take me on, you have as much chance of victory there as a slug has against salt, you got away with this farce for a while but your time is up now so you can either go peacefully or I can make you leave forcefully, the choice is yours but I'm hoping you're not as dumb as you look" Sin told Sam in a chilling tone.

The color drained from Sam's face as it sunk in that there would be no manipulating this situation or this woman, she wasn't up to the challenge that had been laid down, so it was best to bow out without a fuss (and with her person intact) before that option was revoked. Wordlessly she made her exit and only Donna seemed to care.

"who the hell do you think you are? You can't just show up here and force Jackie back on us while you threaten Sam into leaving!" Donna cried angrily

"you must be Donna" Sin smirked at the tall woman "I've heard so much about you over the years" sin laughed to herself a bit as she observed the walking cry for attention.

"over the years?" Donna repeated in confusion "how long have you known each other?" she demanded of them

"since 1974" Eric shrugged, he was well past caring about how donna reacted to things – it was always bad and that had gotten very boring.

"you've been lying to us all that time?" Donna gasped a little theatrically, no one was buying her claim to care about something besides herself.

"interesting attempt at deflection" Sin noted in a blasé sort of tone "now run along, you're not welcome here and we have a long way to go before we rest" she told the four-lost people she had promised to look out for.

"meet me at my grandparents' house in two hours, I'll make you dinner and we'll set about sorting out this mess I'm seeing, Jackie go get together what you'll need for a few days, you'll be staying with me, Fez you're in charge of snacks, Eric go with him and help and finally Steven" she said giving him a steady look that made him swallow hard "go shave off that Feckin' porn stache this instant! You and I are going to have words later and I don't need that dead rodent distracting me understand?!" it was an order plain and simple and he turned on his heal to comply.

Once they had all left to do as she'd said, Sin groaned at the task ahead of her, it was worse than she had ever imagined it would be.

"not bad kid, personally I would have thrown in some more violence, but I can't deny you have a certain style, and I respect your results" Red told her from the garage where he'd been watching the whole thing unfold.

"thanks sir, but it's the least I could do since all this is pretty much my fault" Sin told him heavily

"how do you figure that kid?" Red asked curiously

"I left" Sin said simply

"to do what?" Red asked, slightly curious about the young woman he'd just seen dispatch so many dumbasses from his property.

"kill people" Sin said it casually, but Red Forman knew the shadow that passed over her eyes well,

"war?" he asked simply

"troubles" Sin corrected with a wry smile, trying not to let the horrors back into her brain.

A vague memory of Eric Jackie and Steven bugging him about an article in his newspaper long ago that covered the troubles came to his mind and another piece fell into place, this girl had been the reason they'd been curious about something so far removed from them. he knew better than to pry on a topic like that and simply nodded his understanding before telling her she was welcome any time to come by – sometimes soldiers could only talk to another soldier, he knew that well.

Sin walked to the little house that had once been so warm and welcoming, but now stood empty and sad. There were a lot of things she would never forgive herself for and not being able to come back and spend their last days with her grandparents was very high on the list. They'd left her the house, and she'd been surprised for about an hour until she'd realized that they'd done it so that she always had a home one way or another, although home was a stretch without them there.

The familiar furnishings were like a stabbing pain in her chest without her gran calling out from the kitchen as to whether she wanted tea? And the smell of pipe tobacco was so faint it hit her all over again that her grandad hadn't been there in a long time. loneliness washed over her as she set her battered old rucksack on the gust bed and sat down.

She knew she wouldn't be alone for long, besides her dear ones coming over soon there was also Ripper who'd be there within a few days. She knew that Ripper wasn't going to be happy when she told him they were staying indefinitely in point place, he'd get all 'British' on her and try to tell her that as her watcher he forbade it, but she wasn't going to listen to him this time, she had failed those that she loved and she would not leave them like this.

Washington could wait for her but her dear ones could not and Ripper would just have to understand that.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N so I'm not too great at subtle exposition, this is a warning if you were hoping for impressive writing in that capacity, you aren't really going to get that, sorry. There's a lot of things in this that need to be made clear and the easiest way for me to accomplish that is to use the age-old trope of having one character tell another about it.

Anyway, hope those of you still reading this enjoy, also – things might be getting weird since the supernatural element listed in the categories is about to hit, if you need clarification on any of it please PM me and I'll try to explain but id appreciate not leaving annoyed reviews, they bum me out.

I own nothing but some funko pops and blu rays

Sin still had a while until her dear ones arrived, so she decided to take a real honest to god shower! She'd been without modern conveniences for a lot longer than she wanted to think about – not that there was a lot of her life over the last few years that she really loved dwelling on, it was a blur of blood and dirt and pain.

As happy as she was to be with her friends again she still felt a pang of loneliness, she knew precisely where that pang originated but Sin refused to think about it, it wouldn't do any good…it never did. So instead she stood under the steaming spray of clean water (a luxury so many took for granted) and thought over what she needed to do to help her young friends.

She felt responsible, but she was still passingly rational enough to know that although she had left them to fend for themselves, she wasn't to blame for all that had happened. They were smart enough to know that their actions had consequences and even though she was certain that had she been around they wouldn't have made some of the mistakes they had, Sin wasn't about to take the whole burden onto herself, she had her own demons to fight.

But how to repair the damage she'd seen? Where did she even start? All Eric's confidence was gone, Fez's zest for life dampened, Jackie's brilliance dimmed and Hyde's integrity hiding – no pun intended. She sighed when she thought of how much work it would take to remedy all the problems that had sprung up, maybe she'd just get drunk and yell at them? it always worked for her Dad.

Tempting as it was, Sin knew she shouldn't…unless they pissed her off, then it was on.

She wiped the fog from the mirror and looked at her reflection, with her hair slicked back it was easy to see how tired she was, and not just from lack of rest. There was no peace anymore, even in the quietest moments her mind swirled with memories and worries and responsibility, she held out a tiny hope that her dear ones would be mended quickly, and she'd get to be young for a few hours, and while she was dreaming she'd like a unicorn…

She had just pulled on clean Jeans and her favorite – also only – sweater, when there was a knock at the door, wondering who it could be already? By her watch there was still nearly half an hour before they should be arriving.

But when she opened the door she could only smile – it was Jackie, a bulging bag slung over her shoulders and a nervous expression on her face. Sin knew that it would take time before Jackie truly believed that she was safe again, but Sin didn't mind.

"eavnin' darlin', come on in" she greeted the edgy brunette warmly and moved aside so that she could enter.

She showed Jackie where to leave her stuff, noting that the epic talker hadn't yet said a word? Sin led her to the homey little Kitchen that reflected her gran so much it hurt, and set her on a tall stool while she began to chop up cabbage.

It was several minutes before Jackie finally spoke "what are you making?" she asked quietly

"colcannon and roast beef" Sin answered offhandedly while she added potatoes to a large boiling pot of water.

"what's colcannon?" Jackie asked with a small frown

"short answer is mashed potatoes with cabbage, onion and sometimes leaks, this won't have leaks in it though" she explained

"why not?" Jackie asked with a hint of her old curiosity

"cus I don't like 'em" Sin admitted with a grimace which made Jackie laugh.

"are the others going to be here soon?" Jackie asked

"should be anytime now" Sin replied

"do I have to be around Steven?" Jackie whined plaintively, turning her best puppy dog eyes at her friend

"yes darlin', you do" Sin told her gently

"he was so terrible to me Sin, he said the vilest things about me and he meant them, I just don't think that I can ever forgive him enough for us to be friends again" Jackie imparted in a desolate tone, she had always relied on Hyde, and his actions had been the ultimate betrayal as far as she was concerned, and not the way he had left her and married Sam, no, the betrayal came after when he behaved as if she was nothing to him and never had been. They had both known that a relationship between them could fall apart, but he had stopped being her friend and he had SWORN to never turn his back on her.

"and he'll answer for it darlin'" Sin told her seriously "maybe he had his own reasons, maybe he didn't? but sometimes we must be able to forgive something terrible because we never know when it might be us who's asking for it" Sin tried to make her see her point,

"where have you been Sin?" Jackie asked softly

Sin stared at the chopping knife in her hand blankly, but her hand held it so tight the knuckles were white.

"wait for the others to be here before you ask that love, I don't want to be sayin' it more than once" Sin told her in a low broken tone.

Jackie watched her friend begin to shut down and felt a jolt of guilt, Sin was the strongest, bravest person she'd ever known and if only the memory of the past few years could reduce her to this? It must have been awful.

"I'm sorry we let you down" Jackie murmured, she knew that it wouldn't be the last apologies of the evening, she was sure that even Hyde would feel as if he let Sin down with what he had become, but she needed to say it any way.

"listen closely darlin' – you do not need to apologize to me for anything! You are my dear friend and I love ya, whatever happened that brought you all to where you are is not something you need to say sorry for, especially to me. My friendship was not contingent on you all being a certain way while I wasn't here, there are no strings attached where I'm concerned, you got lost and if I can ill help you find your way" she told Jackie sternly

"but you were blaming yourself" Jackie pointed out with a hint of her old self – always ready to argue.

"because I FEEL like it was my fault you all began to drift, but at the same time I KNOW that I'm not responsible for you lots choices, do you understand?" Sin asked

"because you care about us you feel like you have a responsibility to help and care for us, but at the same time you're smart enough to know that people are actually responsible for their own choices and actions" Jackie replied offhandedly

Sin stared at the tiny brunette with surprise "yeah" she concurred finally, not knowing what else to say?

"I'd given the matter some thought, because of how you were talking before I had all that planned out to make you see you didn't need to blame yourself because we got screwed up, I'm sure it's possible that if you'd been around we wouldn't have fallen apart how we have, but many things are possible and it doesn't help to dwell on the 'might have beens'" Jackie pointed out with a maturity most forgot she was capable of.

"I still feel guilty though darlin'" Sin told her wryly

"it'll pass, unless feeling guilty will keep you here longer?" Jackie added hopefully

"it already has" Sin replied obscurely and went back to cooking.

They remained in a companionable silence for a while longer until there was another knock at the door.

"can you get that love?" Sin asked Jackie without looking up from the oven where she was crouched dealing with the roast.

"sure" Jackie answered in a light tone, but her face was pale with fear – she did not want to face Hyde alone, but she didn't want to be a coward.

Sure, enough when she answered the solid oak door, on the other side was the lone figure of Steven J. Hyde staring back at her – sun glasses clipped to the color of his shirt.

"uh…hey Jackie" he greeted awkwardly, his throat swallowing repeatedly without his permission.

"hi" she replied blankly, there was no anger and no warmth in her voice, it was like he didn't exist to her – and it hurt.

Without another word she turned and walked back towards the kitchen, Hyde closed the door and dutifully followed her, frankly he was shocked she hadn't slapped him in greeting – he figured she'd earned it.

Sin was closing the oven when they entered the kitchen again and smiled kindly when she saw Hyde had arrived, she went to him and embraced him warmly.

"eavnin' boy, glad to see the mustache is gone at last" she noted with a grin

"yeah, well you were pretty clear on that point" he pointed out with a smirk

"I'm am a bit lazy for subtlety" Sin nodded in agreement before sitting on a stool facing her two guests across the counter with a serious sort of look on her face "so, I've worked hard on this meal and I don't much enjoy cooking, which means I'm going to be very put out should any tempers of epic proportions flare up and ruin it" she told them both sternly.

"I'll be good if he is!" Jackie hissed darkly

Hyde had the wisdom to keep his mouth shut.

"not really what I was gettin' at darlin'" Sin told her gently "I can see that there's a wound here between you two that needs more than a plaster and a few words, and I promise I will do all I can while I'm here to help with it, but for tonight id appreciate if you came to some kind of understanding about whatever it is that's wrong, which can let you be in each other's company without being miserable" she charged them with the task gravely.

"I don't want to disappoint you Sin, but that's impossible" Jackie told her bluntly, even while totally ignoring Hyde.

"it really isn't love" Sin told her earnestly

"he's done nothing but bully me and tear apart everything we ever were for months! I feel sick just being in the same room with him!" Jackie seethed furiously

"you know I'm right here?" Hyde asked mildly, she was talking as if he weren't present and it was a bit confusing.

"I'm aware" Jackie spat without looking even slightly in his direction.

"just checking" Hyde murmured

"Jackie" Sin began sternly "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be, but I promise you that he never stopped caring about you, he cares right now and he cared last week and he cared last month, I'm not at all excusing what he did, but I'm asking you to try and understand his side and be big enough to start forgiving him, because holding onto all that pain you have inside you won't hurt him, it'll hurt you darlin', it'll turn you into something twisted and unrecognizable from the Jackie we all know, so for your own sake darlin' – find a way to let go of that anger and deal with him" Sin spoke in her oddly compelling voice they both recalled from their very first game years ago at Jackie's house.

Jackie's head was bowed over her hands on the counter top, she knew what Sin was saying was true, all the anger and hurt she had inside was already changing her in little ways she didn't like, she smirked at other people's pain, and felt a surge of happiness when those that had wronged her failed in some way, their pain had become her pleasure and it sickened her!

She didn't want to be that person, but she didn't know how to even start forgiving Hyde either?

"Jackie" Hyde spoke softly from her left where she'd been staunchly ignoring him "I really am sorry for how I treated you, I know it doesn't count for much and it won't even start to make things better, but I really am" he swore to her hardly above a whisper.

"you broke me apart!" Jackie sobbed harshly, she was angry and miserable all at once, but what hit Hyde the hardest was that she was suffering, and he had never been able to cope with that.

"shhhh, it's going to be alright doll" Hyde didn't even realize what he was doing as he pulled the sobbing girl against this chest and cradled her protectively with his arms "I won't let anything else hurt you" he murmured soothingly

"you're what hurt me!" she shrieked accusingly, but she wasn't pulling away? In fact, she was clutching the front of his black t-shirt like it was all that was keeping her from falling into the abyss.

"I know, that's why it's so easy to promise I won't let anything hurt you, all I have to do is stop myself" he joked sadly

"cus you're sooooo good at that" Jackie snapped scathingly

"touché" Hyde laughed wryly "I can't tell you how sorry I am for how I've been, or how much I regret that I ever became that cruel bastard, but I promise jacks that I never stopped caring about you and acting the way I did made me hate myself even more than it made you hate me" he told her softly, still holding her tightly.

Sin wondered idly if they had forgotten entirely that she was there? Either way she wasn't leaving, it was just too interesting.

"I don't forgive you Hyde" Jackie informed him darkly, even while burrowing into his chest by the looks of it.

"that's because you're smart doll, and I don't deserve to be forgiven yet. I know I have to earn it, all I'm asking is that you believe me that I want to do that" he explained hopefully

"so, you'll accept that were not friends and were not ok if I accept that you want us to be?" Jackie tried to make sense of what he was saying

"sort of" Hyde shrugged without letting go of her, he knew he probably should, but he simply didn't want to, holding Jackie gave him a peace and solace he'd forgotten was possible.

"trusting you even the tiniest bit seems like a very bad idea" Jackie told him sadly, she wished she could frankly, she wished she could just forgive all he'd said and done and go back to how things were when he was her champion and she knew he would protect her even if she didn't need it.

"now there's something I understand very well – not being able to trust people, I'm pretty sure something about it will go on my tombstone. But I've always been able to trust you jacks, even while we've been acting like we have I trusted you to be there" he admitted even while knowing it was a gamble, she could react a variety of ways to his statement and his shins might never be the same.

But she didn't go for his shins, no, she went for his face!

In a movement too fast for him to react, Jackie had pulled away and cocked back her tiny fist, he'd seen a flash of fire in her eyes before her fist connect with his own unguarded left eye. Her knuckles were so pointy it felt like he'd been stabbed not punched and he let out a very unmanly scream upon impact.

"Jesus Jackie! I've been sitting here acting like a wuss apologizing and you punch me?!" he cried indignantly

"you deserve it for what you did!" Jackie screeched back at him defiantly

"it wasn't all me Jackie! Have you forgotten the motel room and Kelso?!" he demanded indignantly

"nothing happened!" she screamed back, for the hundredth time since the Chicago debacle

"you were in a motel room with Kelso?" Sin interjected mildly, she couldn't think of one good reason for that to have happened.

"yes, but nothing was going on! Steven just showed up and jumped to conclusions and left without letting me say a word!" she defended

"he was in a towel! Talking about people in the parking lot not being able to see you two 'do it'! what the hell was I supposed to think was going on?!" Hyde demanded angrily, he knew most of it was his fault, but that moment was on Jackie.

"he was just being Kelso! He's always like that!" Jackie huffed irritably, why did he always forget what one of his oldest friends was like?

"and you knew that and still let him into the room!" Hyde countered furiously

"well running off for months and marrying a stripper sure taught me my lesson Steven!" Jackie was quickly losing her grip on her temper (it was long gone but some rationality could be salvaged)

"STOP!" Sin bellowed, cutting off Hyde's next retort and causing Jackie to sit meekly back on her stool

"is this how you communicate?" Sin asked sarcastically "it's no wonder you've had so much trouble getting along" she said irritably

"Steven, she's not wrong about your fault for jumping to conclusions without giving her the courtesy to explain, making that assumption about her has ripped your life apart and made you bitter in a way that's difficult to recover from" she told him seriously, a hint of sadness was audible in her voice as well.

"but Jackie, you knew Kelso too well to think letting him stay in a motel room with you would be innocent, even if you weren't going to ever let anything happen you knew what it would look like and knew what he would say once he got back home, so I'd bet even money that you let him in there to make Steven jealous" she said leveling a hard look at her tiny friend

"he told me to have a nice trip, he didn't care that I was leaving" Jackie told Sin in a very small voice

"I did to care!" Hyde cried out "you were the center of my whole freakin' life and you were leaving! I cared so much I drove all the way there to beg you to stay with me and I found that piece of shit in your room!" even thinking about seeing Kelso near Jackie made Hyde beyond furious.

"then why couldn't you say that to me?! Why couldn't you let me know you cared?!" Jackie yelled desperately

"because I was terrified Jackie! I love you so much just thinking about losing you tore me up, and there you were walking out the door! I didn't know what to do ok?!"

"love?" Jackie murmured giving him a curious look

"loved, I meant loved – past tense" Hyde amended uncomfortably, his face getting a little bit red.

"uh-uh! You said it, no take backs!" Jackie yelled, pointing an imperious finger at him.

"your rules do not apply to me woman! And it's not like you want me to love you anyway!" Hyde argued, arms crossed over his chest defensively.

"yes, I do" Jackie replied tenderly, her voice low and soft.

"huh?" was Hyde's eloquent response to that bombshell

"love isn't something you turn on and off at will Steven, even with how you've been and how much I want to watch you scream while you burn alive – I still love you, and when you love someone you want them to love you back, that's just how it works" she shrugged as if it were obvious

"huh?" he really wasn't grasping what was happening too well

"you're starting to piss me off Steven" Jackie told him narrowing her eyes at his amazed expression.

"yeah, I do that" he agreed in a dazed tone, his brain has chosen to focus on nothing apart from Jackie saying she still loved him and as a result he was basically useless for the moment.

Jackie huffed in annoyance, leave it to him to totally shut down right when they were making progress!

"darlin' give him a moment to adjust" Sin ordered kindly "he's just found out that all the terrible things he did didn't make you stop loving him, and unconditional love isn't something he's ever thought was real, can you blame him?" Sin asked reasonably

Jackie thought over all she knew about his life with his biological parents and how they had done all they could to make him feel alone and useless and unloved, she could sort of see why he had short circuited really. Jackie saw before her one of life's few clear choices – she could hold onto her righteous anger and make him grovel, or she could take the first step and make it, so they worked on it all together. She chewed on her lip while she thought it over, he'd hurt her – bad! But not that long ago he'd been there for her more than anyone else.

With a sigh Jackie threw her hands in the air, she gave up.

"come here Steven" she ordered softly, and when he complied she wrapped her arms around him.

"were still not ok though jacks" Hyde managed to force the words out, even though he loathed them.

"no, but if you don't act like a jackass we can work it out together" she offered kindly

"I'd like that" he murmured sweetly into her hair as he returned her hug

"aww!" a chorus of voice cried happily, making them release each other and turn to find Eric and Fez had joined them without notice while they'd began the long process of mending their friendship. There was also a tall skinny man they didn't recognize with long messy brown hair and a leather jacket leaning casually against the wall?

"shut it!" Hyde growled at his two friends

"let us enjoy this Hyde! It's like the bands getting back together" Eric cried dramatically

"whatever" Hyde muttered, still holing Jackie around the waist which everyone including her noticed, but everyone chose to pretend they didn't.

"so, this is the 'very important' reason you had to extend your stay here indefinitely?" the tall stranger asked in what they guessed to be a British accent.

"did I miss the meeting where suddenly I had to explain myself to you ripper?" Sin asked mockingly

"well seeing as how you have yet to pay attention in any meeting we've ever had – a case could be made for that yes, but I'm failin' to see how this lot having some personal issues is enough to trap us in bloody Wisconsin for more than a couple days?" he stated dryly

Sin gave him an unreadable look and answered simply "because I said so"

"you are still the most difficult bird I've ever met!" he snapped

"pretty talk watcher" she sneered "now stop whinin' and get down the plates, they're in that cupboard there" she ordered, and they all watched the tall man comply without hesitation?

"uh, Sin?" Jackie called to her friend timidly "are you going to introduce us to your other guest?" she asked awkwardly since he was listening while she spoke about him.

"right" Sin sighed realizing she'd made an error "dear ones, this is Ripper – we work together" she told them "Ripper these are my dear ones – Jackie, Hyde, Eric and Fez" she told ripper pointing at each one in turn.

"pleasures mine" he drawled just short of contempt and set a pile of green plates on the counter.

"watch it ripper" Sin warned

"there's a lot we need to discuss Mic, and we can't with them, here can we?" he hissed

"it can wait" she said calmly

"what about the one waiting on the front porch for an invitation, can he wait too?!" ripper hissed under his breath.

Sin snapped her attention away from the colcannon to stare at ripper

"you found one who knew about what's happening?" she asked excitedly and looking impressed

"of course, I did! I said I could, didn't I?" he asked indignantly before looking apprehensive "there's just one tiny problem" he added hesitantly

"what's that?" Sin asked raising an eyebrow

"you're not going to like it" he half explained

"ripper" she growled warningly

He opened his mouth to speak when a loud cockney voice yelled through the closed window by back door.

"how bleadin' long are you going to leave me out here! I'm almost bored more to death, you wanker!" the voice informed them all without prejudice.

Every set of eyes in the kitchen turned to Sin just in time to see the color drain from her face at the sound of that voice, and her lips move ever so slightly to form one solitary word.

"spike"

This word gave them absolutely no information about what was happening, but none of them wanted to be the one to point that out.

"so…" ripper began nervously "can I let him in?"

Sin stared hard at the tall man, her eyes dangerous "do we need him?" she asked reluctantly

"we do" ripper confirmed apologetically

"fine! Let the cocky bastard inside," she ground out between her teeth.

"'bout time ripper, I was thinkin' you forgot about me and were off…." The voice stopped dead when its owner reached the kitchen and saw Sin standing there looking menacingly at him.

The new arrival was medium height but lithely muscular beneath a long black leather coat, his ripped shirt and bleached hair made it clear he'd embraced the punk movement, but the hard angles of his face were softened somehow as he gazed at Sin with something close to wonder.

"Sindal" he breathed out like he didn't believe what he was seeing

"Spike" she returned in a clipped tone

"I didn't know – ripper didn't say…. I didn't know you were here" he finished lamely

"I didn't know you were coming either, seems to me that last I heard you were off again licking a certain mystic whores boots?" she said with deceptive curiosity, even Fez knew she was angry as hell at the blonde man.

"so, you missed me then?" he smirked confidently at her in a way that seemed unadvised?

"don't flatter yourself!" Sin snapped

"I flatter myself all day long love, it's part of my charm" he smirked irritatingly at her hard expression, it was easy to see that most of his confidence was an act and that he was very off balanced by walking in to a room with Sin in it.

"let's get one thing straight – the only reason you're here and I haven't ripped your head off, is because ripper said you have information about the problem were going to be dealing with in Washington!" she snapped at him

"yeah, he mentioned that, although he left out the part where you were here at the 'safehouse' and not already in Washington" he told her shooting an accusing look at ripper, who didn't seem to give a damn he'd been found out in a lie.

"you're both making the mistake of thinking that I give a fuck about your personal comfort" ripper informed them both in a bored tone.

Sins expression grew angrier which Spike noticed and grinned wickedly

"there, there love, Spikes back now, everything's alright now" he cooed maddeningly at Sin, who flushed red and dove at him.

Jackie Fez Eric and Hyde shared a look while they watched their long-lost friend viciously attack the bleach blonde punk, who surprisingly was able to fend off the assault with ease, until one of Sins blows found its mark and threw spike half way across the room? They were missing something here they knew, but couldn't begin to guess what?

What they did know however, was that there was no logical way that Sin – who was only about 5'5" had the strength to throw a full-grown man over ten feet with one punch, did she? It wasn't possible…was it?

Again, the four friends looked at each other hoping one of them had an answer, before looking back at the impossible brawl happening in the living room. Spike had jumped up immediately when he landed and was still blocking Sins attack with swift practiced moves, Sin was what was surprising and confusing in the situation? They knew she had been a soldier, but none of their research about the war she'd been in made mention of the Irish soldiers being trained in martial arts?

"I saw that thing she just did in a Bruce lee movie" Eric whispered to them while staring openly at the fight

"were not in Kansas anymore toto" Hyde told him dryly

"and why is he toto? Shouldn't I be toto, I am cute and loyal more than Eric is!" Fez demanded indignantly

"shut up Fez" Jackie ordered bluntly, not wanting to be distracted from watching Sin attack the scary guy who Jackie was certain she knew better than she acted – anger like that wasn't from a casual acquaintance.

Sin had finally gained the upper hand and had knocked Spike down and had him pinned by the throat, her eyes were unseeing as she raised her free hand which held a piece of pointy wood now?

Spike struggled desperately until finally he pushed her had away enough to speak

"we have a deal slayer!" he snapped wide eyed

"he's right Mic, let him go now!" Ripper finally decided to join the proceedings and his tone was calming.

Sin blinked a few times and finally shook her head and dropped her hand to her side, looking confused and upset.

"I'm not saying I didn't have it coming slayer, but I'm not your enemy, please try to remember that?" spike asked her in a voice no longer rough and laced with slang.

Sin nodded slightly and without a word walked back to the kitchen, leaving everyone else standing around unsure what had just happened?

Spike shot a look at Ripper and then turned to Jackie and the others

"I'm sure you lot have questions about what you just saw, you'd be stupid not to, but listen and listen good gypsy girl – tread carefully with her on this! She's so much more than you could ever imagine, and I won't let any of you harass answers out of her she aint ready to give!" he warned them all but was staring directly at Jackie the whole time.

"who are you calling gypsy?!" Jackie demanded shrilly

Spike raised a questioning eyebrow that bore a thin scar "your eyes – two different colors? Mark of the northern gypsy tribes special ones isn't it? and you little girl reek of their power" he told her with total certainty, then peered closer at her expression of total confusion and smiled widely "oh don't tell me you have no idea?" he chortled "oh that's perfect that is!" he nearly choked on his own amusement

"what's so damn funny?" growled Hyde dangerously

"ooh, protective, aren't you?" spike mocked without concern that Hyde was a fair bit bigger than he was. Then he looked to ripper "fates a funny thing isn't it? Drawing all the little pieces together without notice, bet she doesn't even realize it? Well I may be reckless but I'm not stupid, there's something at work here, no other explanation for one of the marked from the old tribes showing up in Wisconsin of all damn places!" he said gesturing at Jackie, "and I'll wager there's more than can be seen at first look with these three as well" he mused curiously at Hyde Eric and Fez.

"whatever it is or could be, right now what you should concern yourself with is that lunatic Mic in there with a drawer full of knives and a grudge against you" Ripper pointed out helpful

"cheers mate" spike nodded agreement and squared his shoulders in preparation to face Sin again.

"I'm coming in there Slayer so drop the knife and remember I'm on your bleedin' side!" Spike bellowed ahead of his actual entrance. They heard the unmistakable sound of a metal pan hitting the wall, followed by Spike swearing and calling for Sin to be rational – hard as that may be!

The friends looked then at Ripper for answers.

"it's a long story" he sighed "and to even begin you'd all have to let go of a lot of things you've always believed to be true" he explained heavily

"like what?" Jackie asked defiantly, she would find out what her friend was dealing with whether a bunch of English dudes liked it or not.

"like – there are things in the darkness that have been on this world long before us that most people believe to be nothing but stories" Ripper told them seriously

Jackie, Hyde and Forman looked skeptical at such a statement, but not Fez? He looked like he was just waiting for him to continue?

"Fez come on, he's nuts" Eric said laughing nervously

"maybe to you amredicans" Fez sniffed "but where I come from what he's talking about it very true" he informed them seriously

"tell me what you're talking about Ripper, and I'll decide for myself when you're done whether I believe you or not" Jackie commanded in a tone that defied opposition.

"Fine" Ripper sighed reluctantly, this talk never went well!

"into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world with the power to fight the vampires…"


	8. Chapter 8

A/N to the lovely guest who left such a long review for me to enjoy on the last chapter – you are not at all thick, the premise is precisely that Sin left them to go back and fight in the IRA, very early on Jackie even sees her Sinn Féin Tattoo on her back during their first game of truth or dare, but I got the name Sindal from a cheesy movie I watched a lot when I was a kid called battle for endor, it was about the ewoks… anyway, you were very right and I checked the dates to make sure it fit that she was a soldier in Belfast in the 70s. from the start I've had the timeline mapped out in my head and all will be made clear as things progress.

Either in this chapter or the next – I don't know yet since I write as I go – there will be a large section without Jackie and the rest in it much, hope no one minds too much since I feel it's needed.

The four listened as Ripper told them of a world they were having trouble believing was real, it was only Fez's expression that kept them from calling out their doubts. Their foreign friend listened to the explanation of monsters and demons and the one lone girl made to fight them with a look of familiarity? He did not so much as widen his eyes as ripper spoke of vampires and prophecies, and that was somehow more disconcerting than someone claiming it was all real?

"Fez" Eric began seriously "I never thought I'd say this, but – what exactly do you know that we don't?" he asked bluntly

Fez smirked a bit at finally having a better understanding of a situation than any of his friends – they were in his world now! And he was going to enjoy it dammit!

"I know that what he says is true, and I know that it's true because in my village I have seen it" he admitted casually, which was not easy considering the memories they were asking after were not calm happy ones.

"you've seen slayers and vampires?" Hyde asked disbelievingly, had they dropped acid while he wasn't looking? Because that was about all that made sense of what he was hearing.

"yes and no" Fez shrugged "Vampires – unfortunately yes, Slayers? Not a full one" his explanation managed to create more questions than it answered.

"Fez are you really trying to tell us you've seen a vampire? A made-up creature that drinks blood and turns into a bat?" Hyde clearly didn't believe what he was hearing, and if a theory was too far out for the resident conspiracy nut to accept, it had to be bullshit.

"I'm not trying to tell you anything, I am telling you that in my village there are many things that come out at night to hunt and one of them is vampires" he told his friend deadly serious, the level gaze he was shooting at Hyde made him feel uneasy.

"ok, so pretend I believe that you've seen real vampires and understand that whole deal, what about this stuff about 'Slayers'?" Hyde asked crossing his arms expectantly.

"it's like he just told us – there's one girl who is born with the power to fight the creatures of the darkness, when one girl dies another is called in her place, all over the world are girls who 'could' be the slayer, but no one knows which one will be called" Fez told them offhandedly, making even Ripper look up curiously.

"how'd you know that?" he demanded calmly, he'd long since given up sounding surprised – a necessary thing when dealing with Sin.

"we had one in my village – a girl who showed the signs of possibly being called" he told Ripper with a shrug.

"you had a potential there? And the council didn't come and take her for training?" he wasn't sounding as calm now

"Liri was already in training, the elders of my people saw what she was and made sure she learned what she might need, so there was no need for this council you speak of to come there. My grandfather was in charge personally of teaching Liri, sometimes I helped" he said with a hint of pride they weren't accustomed to hearing in his voice.

"that doesn't usually stop them kid" Ripper noted darkly "where did you say you were from?" he asked then

Fez told him and watched with a smirk as his face showed he had never heard of it.

"of course, having no idea, a place exists might stop them yeah" ripper admitted with a smirk

"so, wait, you've known about this stuff all along and never told us?" Jackie asked sounding scandalized

"Jackie my beautiful friend, would you have listened if I told you all that there are demons roaming the earth? Or would you have laughed and thought I was crazy?" Fez asked with a kind smile towards his tiny friend.

"point taken" Jackie conceded quickly, she wasn't sure she believed Ripper as it happened, and she wasn't about to make of a fool of herself by believing him without proof, she told him as much in her bossiest voice.

"proof? What kind of proof were ya thinking gypsy girl?" Ripper asked snidely, he didn't like being ordered around – which is how he happened to know Sin in the first place – and just because a tiny bird with flashing eyes demanded proof didn't mean he was going to give it to her.

"don't call me that! I don't even know what that means!" Jackie shrieked angrily, she had no idea why the two British guys were calling her a gypsy, but it came across as an insult from Ripper and she wouldn't stand for that.

"yeah, I'm curious about that part too, why did that Spike guy call her a gypsy and what was he talking about with fate drawing the little pieces together?" Eric asked curiously, he had a feeling there was something happening here that was even more than Vampires and Slayers?

Ripper turned to look at the skinny unassuming member of his Slayers little group, he hadn't paid the boy much mind when he'd first gotten there, but now he did. There was something there, some sort of gravitas he couldn't put his finger on? That made him start to wonder if what Spike had guessed at might be true? He turned and stared at each of them in turn with an ever growing feeling of unease, each of them felt different from what they should – they shouldn't feel like anything, normal people never did. But this lot – these four unlikely friends of his charge – gave off some vibe he couldn't quit grasp the edges of to identify? Like it wasn't actual yet, just a promise?

"I can't answer that even if I wanted to – which I don't – Spike has his ways of knowing things that I don't have, if I'm being honest it's a bit annoying really even if it has its uses" Ripper told them all in what he hoped was a tone that stopped the questions.

It did not.

"I'm still waiting for some proof here Ripper" Jackie told him pointedly, he wondered absently if her foot tapping impatiently was intentional or not?

"what kind of proof were you after? You want me to take you out on a hunt and use you as bait for whatever the mid-west has of the undead? Yeah, I thought not" he drawled contemptuously when Jackie's face blanched at the idea.

"there has to be something tangible you could show us?" Hyde pointed out gruffly, he hadn't liked the idea of Jackie being used as bait one bit.

Ripper raised an eyebrow "and the skinny Irish girl throwing a normal sized man across the room with a single punch wasn't tangible enough for you?" he asked dryly

None of them had a retort for that bit of logic, but they still weren't satisfied.

Before Jackie could think of a way to win her current argument, the back door slammed shut so hard the house shuddered, and immediately Spike and his long black coat swept dramatically into the room, his face was angry but the muscle in his jaw twitched with worry.

"get your arse out there and calm her down watcher" he ordered in a low dangerous growl

"I think I'd rather let her calm down on her own actually" Ripper noted

"oh, would you then? Well I don't bloody care what you'd like! Get out there and do your fuckin' job mate!" Spike screamed furiously at the taller man, who gulped and headed towards the door Sin had exited through.

Spike let out a deep breath and slouched into an arm chair, glaring across the room at nothing while lost in thought.

"umm, Spike?" Jackie began hesitantly "is Sin ok?" she asked with genuine concern

It was that honest concern he heard in her voice that made Spike turn to her and answer at all.

"she's right pissed off at the moment, and a pissed off slayer is never ok. Hopefully Ripper will talk her down and all will be right in the world again – so far as it ever is" Spike told her darkly

"I still don't get how all this 'slayer vampire' stuff can be real, it doesn't make any sense!" Jackie huffed irritably to cover how scared she really felt.

Spike glanced sideways at her like he was sizing her up or something?

"words weren't enough for you were they gypsy?" spike said knowingly, almost impressed with her attitude. "good, they shouldn't be, never take what someone tells you at face value if your gut is sayin' somethin' else. But I'd wager your gut is screaming' at you that what you've been told just now is the truth, and that's scarin' you something awful it is" he told her shrewdly

"whatever" Jackie drawled in perfect Zen, she'd never let anyone – especially a stranger – see they'd thrown her off balance like his statement just had.

"ooh, I think I'm gonna like you gypsy" Spike grinned in amusement "what'll make this all easier to swallow for you lot? One time offer of being helpful here, and that's mostly so the Slayer doesn't get more brassed off at me" he admitted honestly

"well we asked Ripper for proof, but he said the only proof was going out hunting with me as bait to see that vampires are real" Jackie admitted the crux of their problem.

"wanker" spike muttered with disgust, of course Ripper had to sound like a hard guy to the confused kids, couldn't just think of another way to make what he'd been saying a reality instead of a story?

"if you want proof I can give it to you, but first you have to promise not to freak out and bring the Slayer in here stake blazing" Spike offered them seriously

"promise" Jackie answered immediately, the other three nodded concurrence and stood expectantly.

Spike grinned a truly wicked grin before his face shifted into the ridged visage of a demon, his grin was suddenly full of vicious fangs and his amused eyes were a burning yellow. He tried not to smirk when every face staring at him drained to a sheet white while seeing the true face of a vampire.

"that proof enough love?" he asked conversationally, marred a bit by his fangs

Jackie forced her head to nod, but it was barely perceptible, she had never been so terrified in all her life, she could feel every muscle in her body screaming to run as fast and as far away as she could, but her mind was frozen, so much so that she didn't register at first that a pair of arms had wrapped around her protectively.

With a shake of his head Spikes demon face fell away leaving the handsome angular one in its place.

"you're a..a…" Jackie stammered while clutching Hyde's arms for safety

"a vampire" Spike supplied helpfully "but you don't need to worry little girl, the Slayer and I have a deal and you're in no danger from me" he assured them with a hint of sorrow in his voice that made Jackie frown in confusion.

Why would a deal with Sin make him so sad?

"if it's her job to kill you how did you and she make a deal?" Eric asked trying very hard to sound calm

"that's a long bloody story mate, you sure you want to hear it?" Spike asked him seriously

"I want to understand" Eric told him truthfully.

"alright then, sit down and get comfy kiddies, this is going to take a while" Spike said with a sigh and got up to swipe a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet by the door.

"right then, a few years back I was looking for some excitement, I'd been in New York for a while, but id finished what I came there for and after that it was dull, so I thought to myself – where in the world has something fun happening? I was strolling through hell's kitchen one evening and the particular street I was on was an Irish one, I happened to hear them discussing the war happening there against my home land that they were calling 'the troubles', well call it what you like war is war. But it sounded just like what I'd been looking for – lots of blood and violence! Don't give me that disgusted look kiddies – vampire remember?" he told them bluntly

"any way, I got a boat over to the emerald isle and set down in Belfast where the thick of it was, I spent weeks just strolling around watching the chaos erupt all around me, say what you will about the Irish – and Ripper does – but you can't beat their courage, they fought the stronger richer forces of my country with a tenacity I respect. And one night while I was observing a truly vicious firefight between the two sides – I stumbled on the most tenacious of them all"

Belfast, Ireland – April 1978

It was a lovely dark night and spike was sauntering down the road of the old city, amusing himself by practicing how best to make his new coat swirl around his heals while he walked, he was just getting the hand of it so that it seemed effortless when he caught the scent of fresh blood – lots of it.

He'd been in town now for about three weeks and he was having a hell of a good time! so much chaos mixed with old world hospitality and cheer, it made him wonder why he'd always avoided the place before? Of course, he knew the answer – Angelus. He knew it did the entire country a disservice to associate his scum of a grandsire with them, but facts were facts and he'd always held angelus against the Irish.

His brain snapped back to the overpowering scent which was a relief, he didn't care to dwell on angelus and their shared past, it was nothing but bad memories.

Instead he focused on following the scent of battle to see if the fun had ended without him? He did not find what he'd been hoping for, there was no spot of violence for him this night, only the remains of something horrific.

There had been a battle he was certain, he was also certain it had been one for the books judging by the amount of death left in the street, so far as he could tell no one had walked away?

The IRA soldiers were slumped around the mouth of an alley and he could see in the dim light they'd been shot – this was not a surprised all things considered. What caught his attention and his interest, was the state of the British soldiers?

They were all dead there was no doubt about that, but although a few had been shot – likely by the Irish company – the majority looked like they'd been savaged by a rabid lion? Was there a zoo about that he hadn't noticed? Perhaps one that was missing a lion? Somehow, he thought not.

But lion or no, the fact remained that several armed men were strewn about the opposite side of the alley, broken and mauled. Something had literally torn them apart?

This was true carnage, and spike grinned – he had to find what had done this, perhaps buy them a drink out of admiration?

Well, he wasn't doing anything anyway, might as well have a look around and see if he could figure out what had happened. Maybe there was a rogue demon about, hell if he was lucky it was one he knew and was on friendly terms with, he hadn't been alone in a century and he'd realized recently that he missed the company. But as spike walked deeper into the unlit alley way he began to feel a strange buzz in his chest, however, he didn't get a chance to try and discern the source of the buzz because his sharp ears picked up something else – the heavy footsteps of soldiers running in his direction.

Now, in most places spike had traveled throughout his hundred plus years, this would have posed no problem, he would have simply charmed or fought his way out of whatever was coming towards him, and if neither of those options were possible there was no shame in slinking away in the shadows (provided no one was there to see you do it) to live to fight another day.

But this was Ireland!

The place that never forgot his kind, bloody stoker even wrote that insipid book his kind were still pissed off about – except Dracula of course, stupid git thought he was soooo important now!

Anger at the caped ponce aside, spike knew better than to reveal himself in his current local, even if he didn't leave a survivor those that found the bodies would recognize what killed them and then he was the hunted, and he'd only just arrived.

On the other hand, if the soldiers heading his way were his own country men? He was even more screwed. They wouldn't take kindly to an Englishmen being where he was unless they were part of the regiment and it was abundantly clear that he was not. He'd have a lot of explaining to do, and possible spend some of his un life in a barrack jail…hiding in the shed it was!

In too much of a hurry to bother with looking cool, spike scurried into a tiny shed built against the stone wall made of rough planks that smelled of mildew and worse, well at least he didn't HAVE to breath if he didn't want to.

Without a sound he pulled the crooked door shut and leaned against the stone wall making up the back of the shed, that appeared to be for firewood and garden tools, and also, he realized belatedly – for a small shabbily clothed girl who reeked of blood and sorrow?

"if you're plannin' on killin' me go ahead" she informed him softly, never looking away from the wall before her, he had an inkling what she was seeing there was far different then what he did.

She had that look in her eyes that said she was trapped in a vision of horror he couldn't imagine, and there was nothing to do but wait for it to run its course. Spike glanced at the girl with interest, perhaps he could have a snack tonight after all? Some waif hidden away in a shed wouldn't be noticed for some time and he could always stay on the far side of the city afterwards.

He was distracted from this idea by the buzzing in his chest increasing, whatever he was being warned about was nearly upon him, maybe the traumatized girl could shed light on what had destroyed the soldiers in the alley? It all seemed to add up – her hiding there looking as if she'd shaken hands with the devil himself.

"nights still young, killing you can wait" he told her casually

"am I needin' to curtsey then?" she asked with an off putting dark humor

"roofs a bit low for that Luv, maybe just ask real nice" he joked with a grin most normal people found chilling.

"I'd sooner take the stage naked than ask an Englishmen for a favor" she hissed defiantly

Spike raised an eyebrow at her reaction, he was about to comment but was distracted by the buzz in his chest increasing into a clear warning to run? But he didn't like to listen to warnings – even his own demon's, so instead he peered through the gloom around them trying to see the girl better, finally he let his eyes only shift to his demon form. After that it might as well have been a clear summer day in there, he could see every tiny detail of his surroundings, but most importantly of her.

She was hunched in a corner with her hands wrapped around her drawn up knees, her clothes were worn and utilitarian, her black hair was cropped close to the scalp apart from a single chin length lock that fell across her eyes (likely a concession to the usual cut because she was a woman) but what caught his attention more than anything else was that she was soaked in blood that didn't belong to her, he could tell by the smell that it wasn't female blood.

He was more than a little curious how a wisp of a girl had managed to get herself covered in the blood of others? And then there was the look in her eyes, the haunted empty look he'd seen before in the faces of soldiers from the worst battles fought in his lifetime.

"were you part of that skirmish back there?" he asked curiously, even pleasantly since he was more curious than hungry just then.

"aye" she answered simply, but it was easy to hear the pain in even that single word.

"then you saw what happened to the British troops? I'm interested in what could have ripped apart that many men that quickly?" he admitted truthfully, there were a lot of nasties in the night that even a master vampire didn't want to run across.

"it was a monster" she replied shortly but with a trace of disgust

"I thought as much, but care to be a bit more specific luv? Are we talking tentacles, fangs, spines? I need a bit more to go on then 'monster'" he told her seriously

"nothin' like that Englishmen" she spat at him before losing herself in the sight only she was privy to, it almost made him jealous that he couldn't see it too.

"you are one difficult bird" he told her pointedly

"you've no idea" she muttered

Spike looked closer at her again, there was something in her expression he recognized but it took him a moment to put a name to it – self-loathing, his temporary companion hated herself?

The footsteps of the soldiers grew closer, and the girl began to growl low in her chest, her eyes flashing with murderous fire, everything started to make sense now.

The monster had been her.

"it was you then wasn't it?" he said evenly, not wanting to set her off now that he was sure of what she was.

The blood-soaked clothes, the haunted look, and the warning buzzing in his chest cold mean only one things – he'd stumbled upon the new slayer!

Spike surmised that the Australian slayer must have bought it quick down under since it hadn't even been a whole year since his dance with Niki wood in New York, the powers that be either really like him or really hated him to put him right next to their newest champion while she was so damaged.

"what's it to you?" she asked defensively, but still hadn't looked away from the wall directly in front of her.

"I'd say it's fairly important considering your kinds overwhelming urge to kill my kind" Spike told her bluntly

"well if you didn't want to be killed by my kind you should have stayed in your own fuckin' country Englishman!" she snarled contemptuously at him

He hadn't been expecting that? Surely she should have put the pieces together like he had? Slayers had their own warning system to spot those like him, but this one didn't hate him because he was a vamp, no, this one hated him because he was British?

Danger or not, spike wanted to get to the bottom of this peculiar turn of events. He rummaged through his deep pockets searching for his smokes, when he finally found them he pulled one out with his teeth and went back to work looking for his matches, but when he finally found it he muttered a curse – empty!

He was still swearing bitterly under his breath when he heard a metallic *click* and looked up to see his shed mate holding out a lit zippo towards him, and not to set him on fire? For all her hatred of the English and her current misery, she had been raised with manners and was offering him a lite.

"cheers luv" he said around his cigarette and took the offered lighter gratefully, after he'd lit his smoke he clicked the zippo closed and looked at it a bit jealously – he needed to get himself one of them he thought seriously, and almost as if she could read his thoughts the girl spoke.

"I'll be needin' that back Englishmen, it was a gift" she told him gravely

Spike chuckled softly and turned the silver lighter over in his hand, he could feel an engraving on it and wiped away the dried blood with his thumb to read it,

"Sin? Who gave you a gift like that luv? Sounds like someone id get on famously with" he smirked

"it was from my Gran" she informed him and held her hand out expectantly for her property to be returned.

That wasn't at all what he'd been expecting, and he was just curious enough (and bored) to ask about it.

"your Gran? Your Grandmother gave you a lighter reminding you to sin?" he sort of wanted to meet a grandmother like that.

"not that it's any of your business, but it's not sin like 'to sin' its Sin - as in my name"  
she explained irritably, he'd wager good money she'd had to explain her uncommon moniker fairly often in her life.

"spike" he returned out of deeply ingrained courtesy

"eh?" she said blankly and turned to face him for the first time.

Her eyes locked on his and Spike felt suddenly less sure of himself, there was something there that was unnerving.

"that's my name – Spike" he explained a lot less confident than he'd been, but if she noticed the change she didn't let on.

"aren't we a pair then?" she laughed slightly

"you've no idea" he muttered so low she didn't hear him.

"now that were acquainted, care to tell me what happened back there? Maybe I can help" he told her almost honestly, he found to his own surprise that he hadn't made up his mind towards what he would do about her.

"why do you care?" she asked suspiciously, he kept forgetting her issue was cultural not supernatural.

"I don't" he admitted bluntly "I'm stuck in here and I'm curious, so humor me and tell me what happened, maybe I can even make sense of some of it for you?" he told her shrewdly, he'd wager he had a better understanding of it than she did if some of his guesses turned out true.

"fine" she shrugged casually, which he knew to be false there was nothing relaxed about this girl.

"I was on a sweep with my regiment and we ran right into your men, it got ugly fast, I was crouched behind a low wall with a few of my men while your kind opened fire on us, I could hear my mates screamin' and dyin'….they massacred us…I was all that was left." She related what he'd been expecting in a tone that nagged at him, with a start he realized he felt bad for her?

"then what?" he prompted gently

"then I wretched all over my boots" she answered flatly

"coulda' done without the color commentary luv, I meant after they took out your mates?" he specified

"I felt dizzy and sick, thought I was dying for a moment there, then they were comin' towards me – they'd seen me by then – and they were smirking with victory, smilin' over killin' my whole company! I saw red and attacked them…. I only have flashes after that, but I know I went mad, I know I destroyed them all" she finished speaking in a voice full of regret and disgust for what she'd done – what she was capable of doing.

He could see it all as she spoke, cruel emotionless fate had called her in the middle of a firefight, he actually felt some pity for the girl – infused with the power of the slayer without warning just as the enemy was coming to kill her like they'd killed her friends, he couldn't really fault her for what she'd done. But he could tell that she blamed herself without remorse, as far as she was concerned she'd committed a grievous act and her mind was working overtime just to cope enough to stay sane, but the blank look her eyes took on occasionally told him it wasn't working out very well.

"where's your watcher?" he asked suddenly remembering that she shouldn't be on her own like she was.

"watcher? Like one of those perverts who leers at girls while they're in the market? No one tries that shit with me pal, trust me on that" she told him dryly

Spike rubbed his temples, this was getting out of hand! How the hell did a slayer get missed by the council of wankers?! They had literally nothing but time to search out the potential slayers and make sure they were prepared, he couldn't actually think of another function they had! There was no damn reason she should have been caught as off guard by her calling as he was sure she had! Unless?

"how old are you Sin?" he asked casually

"21" she answered with a suspicious tone

"have you ever had any sort of training?" he knew this wasn't a normal question, but he was banking on her being too distracted to notice.

"did your puny English brain miss the part where I'm a soldier?" she asked scornfully

"the hair cut makes it hard to forget" Spike told her dryly

"then you should know already that we get training" she reminded him

Spike was doing something he didn't like to do – he was using his brain, he usually tried not to since there was more freedom in following his gut and his blood, but long ago he'd been somewhat of a scholar, and he was dusting off some brain cells since by the sound of the soldiers milling around – neither of them were leaving that shed any time soon, so he listed off the facts he had.

-she was a fair bit older than most girls called to be the chosen one

-she was Irish – a country not on good terms with the English, which was where the council of watchers was located, which meant they tended to ignore Ireland

-she didn't know the term watcher, which meant she didn't have one

-she loathed him at first sound of his voice, not first sight which meant she probably didn't know vampires were real

All of it together told him she didn't know what she was or what she could do, let alone what she'd been chosen to do, and there she was almost in his lap just begging to be the third dead slayer to his name!

So why was she still alive?

He'd known for nearly an hour what she was, hell, her first words had basically been a request for death! But here he was thinking angry thoughts at the council that was supposed to help and care for her, instead of draining her dry!

He decided that he hadn't killed her yet because without a fight it was too boring, that had to be it! Biting a slayer who didn't know what she was had no glory, well, he'd just have to make her want to fight then!

Sin was back to ignoring him while she relieved the terrible things she'd just done, sinking deeper into despair. Spike decided being blunt was the only choice with her so broken and went for the easiest route possible.

"Sin!" he barked to get her attention, he waited until her eyes focused on his usual handsome face before he let the demon show itself, he even gave a theatrical hiss for emphasis!

But Sin barely blinked at his yellow eyes and fangs before turning back to her bit of wall again! He had never in all his un-life been so deeply offended! How could she not react at all?! She wasn't even bravely curious, she just didn't give a flying fuck that she was sharing a cramped shed with a blood sucking demon! The nerve of her!

"really?!" he demanded angrily

"what are you on about?" she asked with a tired sigh

"what am I on about?! That's your reaction? I'm a damn vampire luv, you're supposed to be – ya know – scared!" he snapped irritably

"do all vampires whine like little girls when they're not found impressive?" she asked mockingly

"I wouldn't know, so far I've always been impressive!" he shot back too quickly to notice it was a silly thing to admit.

"oh, poor little lamb" she cooed at him

"you won't be so smug when I drain you dry poppet!" he snarled

Sin made a gagging sound and pretended to wretch, then looked at him contemptuously

"sorry, 'poppet' was so English I couldn't control myself" she told him with a smirk that rivaled his own, and it pissed him off

"I'm going to enjoy killing you girl" he growled, letting his face slip again into the demon.

But shook it off again when he saw the look on her face

"look luv, could you look just a little bit scared?! I'll settle for 'apprehensive' but I need you to work with me here!" he asked petulantly

For just a tiny moment a smile ghosted across Sin's face, and Spike felt completely disarmed.

"sorry Englishmen, death ain't much of a threat right now" she told him heavily

"well don't count on me to get on the pity train" he told her pointedly, he'd be damned – again – if he was going to feel sorry for her! She was a slayer he was a vampire, they didn't feel bad for each other that's just the way it was!

"didn't ask anythin' of you Englishmen" she said softly, again losing her focus to the darkness in her mind.

"would you stop calling me that?! The names Spike luv get it right" he fumed a bit petulantly

"got another smoke 'Spike'?" she asked emphasizing his name in an unflattering drawl

'what the hell' he thought with a sigh and lit them each a cigarette handing hers over without a word.

"thanks" she said softly and took a practiced drag, ruining the small hope he had that he'd get to watch her choke and splutter like a novice, she was just par for the course for ruining his night.

"yeah" he replied awkwardly, hoping the soldiers outside would move along so he could get away from the brand new (and infuriating) Slayer he was stuck with.

"so, English vampire, can I ask ya another favor?" she said startling him out of his thoughts of escape

"what might that be?" he honestly couldn't imagine

"could ya stop talkin' and just kill me?" she said it so directly – so sorrowfully that he didn't know how to respond?

"you want me to kill you?" he inwardly cringed at how surprised he sounded

"it won't stop playing over and over – it's all I can see, what happened to my friends, what I did…please make it stop" she turned huge pleading blue eyes at him

"aren't all you Irish Catholics?" he asked to buy some time to settle his nerves

"not all of us, and I was never a very good one anyway" she shrugged

"well good one or not, what you're askin' counts as suicide" he informed her triumphantly, although he couldn't explain what he'd triumphed over?

"shit" she swore angrily and glared at her boots trying to think of another solution.

"I knew all you slayers had a death wish, but I didn't know it started so soon out the gate" he snorted contemptuously

"what the hell is a slayer?" Sin asked crossly

Huh, he'd forgotten to tell her that part, oh well, no time like the present.

"you are luv, as of about two hours ago anyway, the chosen one and all that – the one girl in the world with the power to fight the vampires and other nasties that go bump in the night" he explained with a smirk

"is that what happened to me?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him

"looks like yeah" he admitted "interesting timing I admit, right when you were about to buy the farm the powers that be called you up from the reserves, all that extra power without warning mixed with all adrenaline and anger from the fight you and yours were in, and all together you get that mess back there" he didn't have the same feelings about it as she did.

Sin asked a few more questions about what he claimed she was now, and then fell silent while she thought it over, finally she looked at him with a resigned sort of expression.

"this all sounds like a pretty crap deal" she told him blankly

"can't argue that" he really couldn't, he'd always felt the slayers got the short end of the stick honestly, but that wasn't really his problem.

And then she dove at him and started raining down wild punches at his surprised face!

It took him a moment to react and start to fight back, but when he did it took hardly any time for him to gain the upper hand, it was so quick in fact that he started to think she wasn't putting her full effort in? not only did she have no style, her bar room brawl tactics were obviously being held back on purpose! That conniving little twerp was trying to goad him into killing her! Well he was no one's puppet!

"it's still suicide if you let me win" he told her cruelly

"I'm not letting you win!" she denied angrily and threw a haymaker at his head which he ducked easily.

"not even an untrained slayer dances this badly, much less a trained Sinn Fein soldier!" he accused with righteous indignation, how dare she try to use him?!

"would you stop yappin' and do your damn duty vampire! I didn't ask for a critique" Sin growled and made yet another wild attack which he fended off with ease.

Spike was torn between wanting to rip her throat out in annoyance and not wanting to give her what she wanted! But damned if he could see the middle ground between the two!

"I don't take orders from you or anyone else slayer!" he shouted furiously and hauled back his arm to punch at her again, but before he could she fell to her knees and looked up at him with a nearly heartbreaking look of loss and pain in her eyes.

"please spike" she whispered desperately "it's too much, I can't…I'm not strong enough…I can't" she sobbed as she pleaded with him to help end her suffering.

Spike was gaping at her, he had no idea what to do? He felt for her – not pity - he would never degrade a warrior with pity, with a shudder he realized it was something far worse – sympathy. He knew what it was like to lose your grasp on the world and have no one to turn to, and he felt the sympathy bubble up from deep inside him.

He wasn't sure what he was about to say to her when the option to say it was ripped away.

The fight against Sin had made him forget about the British soldiers he'd heard nearby, but with all their shouting and scuffling around the dank alley, the soldiers had found them – and had shot Sin in the back while she'd knelt on the ground pleading for him to help her!

She stared down at the blood pouring out of the hole in her for a second before grinning and falling to the dirty cobble stones.

"cowards!" Spike roared at the men who'd shot and unarmed girl in the back, without hesitation he ran at them so fast he blurred, they didn't have time to blink before he'd ripped out the first throat, he didn't drink from a single one of them either, he'd never let something as contemptible as men who'd shoot a girl in his system, instead he snapped their necks like twigs, leaving them scattered in what he hoped was puddles of urine.

When the soldiers all dead as he could make them, spike stooped by Sin and felt for a heartbeat, he didn't want to admit he sighed with relief when he found one, it was starting to falter though so he had to act fast.

Save her or let her die?

"fuck it" he growled and scooped her up in his arms, closing his nose to the smell of her blood, and ran out of the alley to find someone to help her.


End file.
